Captain, Royal Artillery, England, 1879, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This small chromolithograph of a Captain in the Royal Artillery was made in England in 1879 by the Kinney Tobacco Company. It was issued as a promotional item for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The printing technique of chromolithography allowed for the relatively inexpensive mass production of colorful images like this one. In this case, it depicts a British officer's uniform with great precision. Note the texture of the background, achieved through layered application of ink. The image is not just a portrait, but also a product of the industrial age and the rise of consumer culture. Consider the number of impressions that had to be made to create these cards, and the labor required. What might seem like a disposable piece of ephemera reveals a complex web of materials, processes, and social context. Examining its materiality, we can appreciate the many histories that converge to create it, challenging our notions of fine art and craft.