Keck Zouaves, Johnstown, New York Militia, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This small chromolithograph, made by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, was created as an advertisement for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The colorful image depicts a member of the Keck Zouaves, a militia from Johnstown, New York. The Zouaves were a type of infantry unit originally from North Africa, known for their distinctive uniforms. During the 19th century, many Western armies, including those in the United States, adopted Zouave-style uniforms and drills, creating a romantic, exoticized vision of the foreign ‘other.’ This image highlights the performance of identity, where local militias like the Keck Zouaves engaged in a form of cultural appropriation, adopting and adapting a foreign military image. The commercial nature of this image, as a promotional item for cigarettes, further complicates its cultural significance. What does it mean to consume an image of a soldier, itself appropriating a foreign identity, in the service of capitalism? Consider the complex layers of identity, representation, and commercialism at play in this small but telling image.