Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Curator: Well, isn't this a dapper fellow! We're looking at a print from 1888, titled "Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy, 1886," part of the Military Series created by the Kinney Tobacco Company. It was originally a promotional card for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. Editor: It’s like a rigid doll; stiff and strangely devoid of life, considering it was meant to promote something supposedly pleasurable! I mean, look at the formality, the unyielding gaze. Is this selling cigarettes, or naval discipline? Curator: Perhaps back then the idea of discipline and strength appealed to consumers, linking smoking with a sort of masculine authority? Kinney Brothers were tapping into a societal ideal. Notice the exquisite details of the uniform, almost photographic, especially the gold epaulettes and hat tassels. Editor: And who gets to embody that ideal? Certainly not everyone. These images perpetuated a very specific and exclusive vision of power: white, male, and tied to institutions like the military, which historically, have been implicated in colonial and imperial projects. Curator: That's true, the image is incredibly selective. There is an almost satirical feel, particularly given its cartoon-like style. Editor: Exactly! That caricature-like quality almost undermines the supposed authority it's trying to project. Think about the context – mass consumerism taking root, the rise of advertising – it's like a twisted funhouse mirror reflecting the era’s aspirations and anxieties. Curator: But perhaps the stiffness also speaks to the limitations of printmaking technology at the time, creating a flattened, almost iconic representation. Even so, there's undeniable charm to its directness and clarity of color. Editor: Oh, I agree. It's fascinating as a historical artifact. It offers us a window into the cultural codes of the time, inviting us to deconstruct the relationships between power, representation, and commerce. And in the same motion reveals how so many cultural assumptions were embedded into society at large, some that we continue to battle against in present day. Curator: A tiny rectangle holding a rather immense history, isn't it? Something to consider.