I say, we've stuffed ourselves on pudgy pie sandwiches, and washed it all down with a nice Borghini wine, (HERE! HERE!) Now, retiring to the study to fill our glasses with something a bit stronger, we are intrigued to find unusual, antique tobacco products await! NOTE: As stated many times on this blog over the years, I do not drink, nor do I smoke. But! I do collect beautiful examples of 1920's, deco era packaging, so allow this antique box of Salome Ideal Cigarettes to become our stimulating, after din-din conversation starter. Manufactured by Rosedor Cigarette Co. Inc. and copyrighted in 1915 and 1924 in New York, Salome is the "delightfully different, original perfumed cigarette. Unrivaled for mildness..." and etc etc, (you can read the rest below.) Let's instead talk about the gorgeous, gold embossed red box, and stunningly sensuous Salome herself striking a rather perfectly pretty pose. Why, she's enough to make one truly lose their head! But hold on to that head, old man, because after you have opened the box, you'll see that Salome returns once more for multiple encore performances. After all, she is screen printed on each and every gold-tipped cigarette nestled within. If that's not enough, NY's seventh and ninth governor, DeWitt Clinton (1769 - 1828) makes a very special guest appearance as a 10 cent revenue stamp on the underside of the box. Not to be confused with a postage stamp, IR stamps, which exist in a variety of color and denominational series, were used to show that tobacco taxes had indeed been paid, annnnd my apologies for allowing this conversation to suddenly take a rather boring turn. Light 'em up, gentlemen-- the Dance of the Seven Veils is about to begin!
11 comments:
Um, I’d be seriously tempted to undo all my hard work quitting 16 years ago to try one of these beauties—expiration dates be damned! But what were they “perfumed” to smell like? And do they still have a scent other than old tobacco? Amazing!
I do miss that time when people had to work really hard to differentiate their products; whether it's bright colors, embossing, a pretty lady, all of which are used to catch the eye here.
I don't drink or smoke either but I think "flaked metal at end of cigarette" is one of the many things that isn't going to cause me to start.
Love the ad. The color scheme is nice, and the layout with the cigs on one end (in bright red) and the more muted Salome on the other (with what was then a pipe that could only mean opium !!) works really well. Filling your lungs with tar was never so exotic!
Good fonts, too!
There is a very mild perfume scent, but it's hard to pin point. If anything I'd say it's like what remains lingering in the air after
spritz extinguishing a burning patchouli incense stick with Avon's Moonwind Eau De cologne. I'll bring some along next time I see ya... I could do a whole follow-up post about you tripping out after toking on a 100+ year old cig!
Dude, you know flakey metal is your jam. Come on now!
Salome looks like Theda Bara, and I think was modelled on Theda Bara.
Perhaps you can take just one of the cigarettes and place it in the mouth of the Kindel & Graham Cigarette Dispenser featured here back on August 3, 2024. Did the dispenser ever dispense such an exotic cigarette? Only the gypsy fortune teller cigarette dispenser knows, and she isn't telling.
Whoa, those are some fat cigarettes. Gitanes style, I guess. I'd have been attracted to this brand back when it was still fresh, but I never liked smoking any cigarette that was over two days old. I used to keep a pack in a Ziploc in the freezer and they still got stale before the week was over. The story at the top of this comments section amazes me!
Lovely art of course. I love the box (even the chipping) and the art with its gold accents. The ad, too, and the stamp. I really dig that pile of stereoscopic prints in the background there, too.
Possibly
Ahhh that’s a good idea!
I definitely need to do a stereoscope card post one of these days— I have a million of ‘em!
I never see them for sale anywhere. And now I know it's because they are all in Missouri.
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