Captain, Princess Hussars, Spain, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (7 × 3.8 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick
Accession Number
Burdick 218, N224.669
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming chromolithograph, titled *Captain, Princess Hussars, Spain 1886*, is a tiny gem from the Kinney Brothers Company's Military Series (N224), in 1888 to their popular Sweet Caporal Cigarettes Issued as collectible trade cards tucked into cigarette packs, it captures a dashing Spanish hussar captain in full regalia—sword at his side, evoking the romantic allure of 19th-century military prowess. These cards tapped into America's growing fascination with European armies, blending exotic uniforms with patriotic pride during a time of imperial expansion. Printed via commercial color lit...
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...