1st Regiment of Hussars, Russia, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This small chromolithograph was published by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company around 1888, as part of a series of collectible cards distributed with Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. These cards functioned as promotional material, feeding the late 19th century obsession with collecting and display, but they also offer a window into the cultural values of the time. This card depicts a member of the 1st Regiment of Hussars from Russia, a country then ruled by Tsar Alexander III. The hussars were a type of light cavalry, known for their colorful and elaborate uniforms. By depicting a soldier in full dress uniform, the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company tapped into a sense of national pride, militarism, and perhaps even imperial ambition. To fully understand the image, we might consult military records, fashion plates, and advertising ephemera from the period. Only then can we appreciate how even a humble cigarette card participated in the construction of social and political life.