Algerian Tirailleurs, France, from the Military Uniforms series (T182) issued by Abdul Cigarettes 1881

This small chromolithograph was produced by Abdul Cigarettes as part of a series of military uniforms. It depicts a member of the Algerian Tirailleurs, riflemen who served in the French Army. Born out of France's colonial ambitions in North Africa, the Tirailleurs represent a complex history of military service, cultural identity, and colonial power dynamics. Recruited from Algeria and other parts of French North Africa, these soldiers participated in major conflicts, including both World Wars, where they faced immense hardship and discrimination despite their contributions. The Tirailleurs occupied an ambiguous position, embodying both the might of the French Empire and the subjugation of its colonial subjects. Images like these served to familiarize the French public with their empire, but also perpetuated an idealized vision of colonial subjects, obscuring the realities of colonial exploitation and the lived experiences of the Tirailleurs themselves.