Alabama State Artillery Company, Mobile Militia, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th American advertising with this tiny gem: *Alabama State Artillery Company, Militia*, a commercial color lithograph from Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company's Military Series (N224), in 1888 to promote their popular Sweet Caporal Cigarettes Measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches, this ephemera was designed as a collectible insert in cigarette packs, sparking a craze for trading cards among enthusiasts. It captures the pride of Alabama's state militia, reflecting post-Civil War patriotism and the era's fascination with military uniforms and local heroes. Produced via chromolithography—a groundbreaking technique for mass-producing vivid, multi-color images on a budget—this print showcases the precision of commercial art at its peak. Kinney Brothers, savvy marketers, leveraged these cards to build brand loyalty, blending artistry with commerce in an age when tobacco companies dominated popular culture. The Military Series highlighted various U.S. units, evoking national unity and martial spirit amid rapid industrialization. Today, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece offers a window into everyday ephemera that shaped collecting hobbies and consumer habits. A delightful snapshot of Gilded Age ingenuity!

About the Artist

Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company · 1869–2011

**Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company (1869–2011)** Founded around 1869 by Francis Sherwood Kinney in New York City, the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company quickly rose to prominence in the burgeoning American cigarette industry. Francis, a pioneering tobacco manufacturer, experimented with hand-rolled cigarettes using blends of Turkish and Virginia tobacco, scaling to mass production by employing Europ...