Louisville Rifles, New Orleans, Militia, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This is a lithograph, made around 1889 by the Kinney Tobacco Company as a promotional item for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. It depicts a member of the Louisville Rifles, New Orleans Militia. The image was created through lithography, a printing process that relies on the chemical repulsion between oil and water. The design was drawn on a stone or metal plate with a greasy substance, then treated with acid. Ink would adhere to the greasy areas, allowing for the image to be transferred to paper. As a mass production technique, lithography allowed the Kinney Brothers to produce these cards in vast quantities, inserting them into cigarette packs as an incentive for purchase. The card served a dual purpose: promoting a specific brand of cigarettes while also tapping into a broader sense of civic pride and military tradition. These cards were cheap to produce and helped create a sense of connection between consumer culture, military service, and regional identity. This small card is a potent reminder of the entanglement between commerce, culture, and identity in the late 19th century.