Private, Infantry, United States Army, 1813, 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, N224.17
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of 19th-century advertising with this petite *Private, Infantry, United States, 1813* from Kinney Tobacco Company's Military Series (N224). in 1888 as a commercial colorograph, this tiny card—measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches—depicts a uniformed soldier from the War of 1812 era, musket in hand, embodying American military pride. Issued to promote Sweet Caporal Cig, it was likely tucked into cigarette packs, sparking a collecting frenzy among enthusiasts. Lithography's vibrant hues and precise details made these ephemera affordable and eye-catching, transforming everyday tobacc...
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...