Full Dress, Halberdier, Spain, 1886, 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 advertising with *Full Dress, Halberier, Spain, 1886*, a tiny gem from the Kinney Brothers Company's Military Series (N224). in 1888 to promote their popular Caporal Cigarettes, this commercial color lithograph captures a halberdier—a soldier armed with the traditional halberd pole weapon—in striking profile and full regalia. Measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches, it was designed as an insert for cigarette packs, sparking a collecting craze among enthusiasts. Chromolithography, the medium here, brought bold, realistic colors to mass-produced prints, making military uniforms pop with patriotic flair. Part of a broader trend in tobacco ephemera, these cards romanticized global armies, blending education with commerce during a booming era of imperialism and cigarette marketing. Today, it resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, thanks to the Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a treasure trove of American print ephemera gifted in his honor. This pocket-sized portrait not only showcases meticulous historical detail but also whispers of consumer culture's clever fusion of art, history, and habit. A delightful snapshot of how everyday indulgences fueled fascination with the world's warriors!

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...