Saxon Cavalry, Germany, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Editor: This lithograph, "Saxon Cavalry, Germany, 1886," made in 1888 by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, depicts a soldier. I'm struck by the stylized, almost cartoonish quality of the image despite its military subject matter. What symbols do you see in play here? Curator: This is fascinating. Beyond its advertising purpose, consider the iconography: a lone soldier, ramrod straight, hand confidently on his hip, set against horseshoe designs. This solitary figure evokes the individual pride within a larger, potentially impersonal military machine. Editor: Horseshoes for luck? That seems pretty straightforward. Curator: Indeed, but it's not merely about good fortune. Horseshoes have a long, culturally-embedded association with protection, power, and even warding off evil. The cavalry soldier then, framed by these symbols, becomes imbued with their essence, suggesting invincibility and the triumph of order. What feeling does his turned-back stance evoke in you? Editor: I see it as defiance, almost like he is sizing you up before a fight. A little intimidating! Curator: It is also perhaps a look backward, calling upon past legacies while facing forward to an uncertain future, which in 1888, Europe felt acutely. How might the tobacco company have leveraged those feelings? Editor: Hmm. Maybe they were tapping into a sense of national pride, linking smoking their brand to the strength and heritage of the German military? Curator: Precisely! They sold more than just cigarettes; they offered a connection to potent symbols of cultural identity and power. The past, present and future all coalesce into one convenient, combustible form. Editor: So much deeper than just an old advertisement. Looking closely at the historical and cultural symbols helps understand how it would have resonated with people at that time! Curator: Absolutely. It reminds us that even seemingly simple images are often dense tapestries of meaning, woven from the threads of shared cultural understanding.