Captain, Cavalry, Geneve Regiment, Italy 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Editor: This is "Captain, Cavalry, Geneve Regiment, Italy 1886" from the Military Series, printed in 1888 by Kinney Tobacco Company. It's a small print, probably a chromolithograph. The uniform is striking, but there’s almost a comedic element to the exaggerated details, like the puffy shoulders. How do we contextualize an image like this? Curator: Indeed. Consider the function of these "cards". These weren’t created for the fine art world, but for popular consumption, tucked into cigarette packs. These sets created a sense of worldly awareness through collecting. The company associated itself with "sweetness" of social standing. It wasn’t just selling tobacco but social capital. What kind of hierarchy did these images reinforce? Editor: So, the humor, or exaggeration, plays into establishing some viewers *above* the depicted figure? A Captain, but almost a *caricature* of a Captain. Curator: Precisely. How might this image be perceived differently by, say, a soldier of the time, compared to a middle-class consumer? Who is meant to feel empowered by consuming this image with their cigarette? We also might look into why a Tobacco company focused on a very specific, European region in this military imagery. Editor: I hadn’t considered how targeted these seemingly innocuous images were. So much more than just a bit of ephemera tucked in with your smokes. Curator: Right! And think of the mass dissemination. This seemingly small print became a building block in a visual language shaping perception about nationhood, military status, and cultural identity. Editor: I'm definitely seeing it differently now. The card isn't just about this Captain, but about who gets to *look* at him and what they’re encouraged to think. Thank you. Curator: It is fascinating how popular imagery quietly molded public opinion, so examining images like this give so much insight into those times.