Engineer Corps, Italy, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This is Engineer Corps, Italy, 1886, a chromolithograph made by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as a promotional item for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The image depicts a soldier, but it also functions as an advertisement that connects military ideals to consumerism. The Italian soldier is idealized, and the bright colors and crisp lines create an appealing image. But the image doesn't only portray the individual soldier; rather, it uses him as a stand-in to create a general impression of Italian military strength during a period when Italy was trying to establish itself as a major European power. This was a time of intense nationalism, colonial expansion and military buildup. Tobacco companies were major advertisers, and they played a significant role in shaping public opinion and promoting certain values. Studying such images helps us to understand how commercial culture and political ideologies intersect. By researching the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company and Italian military history, we can better understand the social context in which this image was created and consumed.