Arms of the State of New York, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This chromolithograph of the Arms of the State of New York was produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. The symmetrical composition draws the eye upwards, from the banner reading ‘Excelsior’ to the eagle perched atop a globe. The figures of Liberty and Justice flank a shield with a landscape. Liberty, on the left, holds a staff topped with a Phrygian cap, while Justice, on the right, is blindfolded, holding scales. The sword behind the shield is a powerful emblem, dividing the composition vertically. The sharp division of color into a cool blue on the left and a warm yellow on the right invites viewers to consider their symbolic meanings. As a promotional item, this image served to align the brand with the values of the state. Yet the structural clarity and symbolic complexity suggest a deeper engagement with themes of governance and representation. Such interplay between form and context invites diverse interpretations of the image's role in culture.