Order Dell' Annunciata, Italy, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Editor: This intriguing little print from 1888, titled "Order Dell' Annunciata, Italy, from the Military Series," was created by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. It uses drawing and print techniques with pen. It's such a delicate and ornate image, almost jewel-like. How would you interpret this work, especially considering its origin as a tobacco advertisement? Curator: That's a great starting point! We must consider this print not just as art but as a commodity circulating within a specific socio-economic landscape. Cigarette cards were hugely popular, functioning almost as miniature, collectible billboards. The 'Order Dell' Annunciata' refers to a chivalric order, implying status and tradition. My question to you, then, is: How does the imagery of nobility intersect with the mass consumption of tobacco? Editor: It's a bit of a paradox, isn't it? The upper-class associations are being used to elevate the status of a product consumed across social strata. It feels like a very calculated move. Curator: Precisely! Kinney Tobacco Company, through images like this, taps into a desire for upward mobility and a sense of refined taste, linking their "Sweet Caporal Cigarettes" to a legacy of Italian aristocracy. The print's aesthetic is thus crucial. The pen drawing and ornate design work to create that illusion of value. The Annunciation scene at the bottom almost gives the image a veneer of piety. Do you see this playing into their broader marketing strategies? Editor: Yes, definitely. It creates a sophisticated appeal and might suggest their cigarettes were made from premium ingredients or produced with the highest quality standards. So the political undercurrent here is that advertising deliberately manufactured aspirational cultural values? Curator: Exactly! What we are looking at isn't just the history of an artwork but the history of taste-making itself. Kinney used their image and social appeal to manufacture a lifestyle around their brand, cementing itself in popular culture and materializing class aspirations for anyone purchasing its product. Editor: That’s fascinating. It really opens my eyes to seeing this little card as more than just a pretty picture. It’s a little time capsule of societal aspirations. Curator: Precisely. Now we might start noticing this manipulation anywhere, a crucial aspect to learn from the politics of images.