Officer, 22nd Regimen, New York State Militia, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This small chromolithograph was created by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as part of a series to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The image depicts an officer of the 22nd Regiment of the New York State Militia, a unit with a complex history that reflects the social hierarchies of late 19th-century America. These cards were a form of advertising, but they also functioned as a kind of aspirational media, reflecting and shaping ideals of masculinity, class, and patriotism. The clean-cut, uniformed officer embodies respectability and order, yet the commercial context reminds us that these images were designed to sell a product. This introduces a tension between civic duty and capitalist enterprise. Consider how the image promotes a specific vision of American identity tied to military service. The card invites us to reflect on how these historical representations shape our understanding of citizenship, commerce, and power.