Commissary Sergeant, United States Army, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This chromolithograph of a US Army Commissary Sergeant was produced by the Kinney Tobacco Company in 1886, as a promotional item for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The image presents a clean-cut figure of authority, meticulously rendered in vibrant color. It reflects the late 19th-century fascination with military power and social order, a period when the United States was expanding its influence both domestically and abroad. The US army had been preoccupied with the subjugation of native American populations and was beginning to look overseas towards the acquisition of new territories. The fact that this image was distributed by a tobacco company speaks to the convergence of commerce, patriotism, and masculinity in American culture. Historians might consult military archives, advertising ephemera, and social histories to unpack the complex meanings embedded in this seemingly simple image. What does it mean to represent power? In what ways do institutions shape our perceptions and values? These are the questions to ask.