Napoleon, from Leaders series (N222) issued by Kinney Bros. 1888

This small card, depicting Napoleon, was printed by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company sometime in the late 19th century. Chromolithography, a method using multiple printing stones to apply different colors, allowed for mass production and vivid imagery on a cheap, disposable format. What's interesting is how this commercial technology intersected with traditional portraiture. The meticulous detail of Napoleon's uniform and the rendering of his features mimic the look of fine art. This was no accident; the chromolithographic process demanded highly skilled labor to transfer an image to stone, often involving a division of labor with specialized roles. But rather than a celebration of fine art, the card signals the democratization of imagery. Through mass production, the image of a once-exclusive subject – a powerful leader – becomes accessible to the masses, slipped into packs of tobacco. So it invites us to consider how even the most seemingly humble objects reflect larger cultural and economic shifts. It blurs lines between commerce, art, and the construction of fame in an age of mass media.