Musician of Heavy Artillery, United States Army, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This chromolithograph was made in 1886 by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, as part of a series promoting Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The image is of a Musician of Heavy Artillery, from the United States Army. The process of chromolithography involves using multiple stone printing plates, each inked with a different color. The final print is built up layer by layer, creating a rich, detailed image. It's fascinating to consider how this technique democratized image-making. Before, color printing was a laborious, expensive affair. Chromolithography allowed for mass production, embedding images like this within everyday items, like cigarette packs. The card speaks to the rise of consumer culture and the way images became intertwined with commerce, but also a way to disseminate cultural values, like militarism and patriotism, to a wide audience. The technique allowed the image, and the ideology it subtly promotes, to reach the masses.