Zulu Chief, Natal, South Africa, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This lithograph of a "Zulu Chief" was produced by the Kinney Tobacco Company as a promotional item for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. It reflects the complicated dynamics of late 19th-century colonialism and the marketing of exoticism. Here we have an image that seems to play on the ‘noble savage’ trope, presenting an idealized, yet stereotyped image of a Zulu leader. The figure is adorned with traditional Zulu attire, but consider how this representation might flatten the complexities of Zulu culture, reducing it to a set of easily digestible symbols for Western consumers. The commercial use of this image is striking; how does the consumption of tobacco become entangled with the consumption of cultural identity? Think about the legacy of such images: how do they shape perceptions and misperceptions about African cultures? While this small card might seem inconsequential, it serves as a reminder of the power of images to perpetuate stereotypes.