Algerian Zouave, French Army, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Curator: So, we’re looking at "Algerian Zouave, French Army, 1886," a print produced around 1888 by the Kinney Tobacco Company as part of their Military Series to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. Editor: Wow, a cigarette card. It has an undeniably romantic flair, but something feels a bit off. Like a very polite soldier in costume, awkwardly posing. Curator: These cards were immensely popular. What interests me, though, is how it intersects with French colonial history. The Zouaves, initially North African soldiers, became part of the French army, often deployed in colonial campaigns. It is an instance of orientalism made banal and accessible. Editor: Absolutely, that tension is visible here. There’s the exotic allure—the billowing pants, the vibrant colors—packaged neatly for consumption. And underneath, the reality of colonial power dynamics. The palette feels too confectionary for that to sink, though. I feel almost as though if I held the artwork for too long my fingers would become sticky. Curator: Precisely. This card, presented within a commercial context, almost inevitably papers over the complexities and violence of colonial conquest with an idealized vision of martial identity and "otherness" as accessible commodity. The very materiality – cheap print intended for short-term consumption – contrasts painfully with the enduring legacies of French colonialism. Editor: Right. It becomes this pocket-sized piece of propaganda, normalizing a very specific, and problematic, gaze. All for the sale of, shall we say, 'cancer sticks'. Curator: Exactly! A tiny square carrying the weight of an empire. The mass appeal is startling; one can see easily how academic-style portrayals played into reinforcing a sense of superiority but in everyday, intimate, consumption. Editor: I suppose I can never look at another vintage baseball card in quite the same way again... it certainly gives you a new way to enjoy your smoke break. Curator: Well, hopefully it provokes thought rather than enjoyment.