Classic Cigar Art Show

Classic Cigar Art

www.ClassicCigarArt.com

Chance plays a greater role in life than we sometimes like to think. If an 18th century printer had not been late producing play manuscripts, if an exceptionally skilled and innovative lithographer hadn’t emigrated to America from Germany, and had America not needed additional revenue to pay off the Civil War debt, magnificent cigar label artwork would never have been created. Finally, if two modern-day treasure hunters and entrepreneurs hadn’t found this historic trove of lithographic gems, they might still be stored away in boxes.

The first link in the chain is Aloys Senfelder, a fledgling German playwright whose first production was a success, but who never saw his second play produced. He blamed the tardy printers for having his royalties canceled and the subsequent debt incurred. In 1798, determined to produce his own manuscripts and after much experimentation, he invented “stone lithography” to replace the expensive and inefficient hand-engraved copper plate printing method.

Louis Prang’s move to Boston from Germany in the 19th century brought the art of Stone lithography to the new world; and his skill, using as many as 25 separate stones (each color required a separate stone) and the introduction of embossing (gold and bronze relief), raised the art of stone lithography to a new level. The embossing had an unintended but desirous effect -- the process required the use of acid-free linen rag paper which would not rip or tear under increased pressure, resulting in one hundred year old labels that are still as clean and bright as the day they were printed.

Cigars were once sold in bundles tied together with a ribbon. There was no

distinction between one cigar and the next. No brands; therefore no labels. After the Civil War, noting the popularity of the cigar, politicians, with their keen sense of potential sources of tax revenue, passed a bill imposing a tax on tobacco products. Cigar manufacturers would now have to identify themselves on their products and so the cigar label was born. They turned to stone lithography which produced a clear image at a faster rate and was less expensive than other contemporary methods. (1870 to 1920 is known as the “Golden Age of Stone Lithography.”)

By the turn of the century over 100,000 cigar manufacturers were vying with one another for the eye and nickel of our great-grandfathers, doing so with intricately designed miniature masterpieces, often in brilliant colors and embossed with 22kt gold. The subject matter could be patriotic, classical, historic or titillating. In fact, there was virtually no subject that wasn’t tried -- in some cases over and over again. On one label a likeness of Betsy Ross, based on a portrait painted from life, depicts her as a dour-looking matron. On another she is pictured as an attractive young woman and, on yet another, as a sultry dark-eyed Latin beauty. Artists took no such liberty with portraits of contemporary personages whose faces were well-known. One fine example is Mark Twain, whose trademark unkempt hair and mustache are instantly recognizable.

Feminine pulchritude was as popular on cigar labels as it is today for selling just about anything from beer to airplane propellers. The labels from the “Gay Nineties” show modest young ladies corseted and trussed up in high-collared gowns, on others Roman or Greek themes justify showing a bit more feminine flesh. Women, although often the subject, then, as now, did not typically buy or smoke cigars, but sometimes were portrayed indulging in the habit. My favorite titled “Pera” depicts a bold and beautiful Latina attired in a gorgeous outfit of red silk with gold embroidery; another shows two young women in androgynous attire enjoying an afternoon cycling expedition and a good cigar -- both amusing icons in the chapter of women’s struggle for equality.

The changing times were also reflected in the style of the illustrations from Art Nouveau in the late eighteen hundreds to Art Deco in the early decades of the 20th century. One striking label in the elegant Art Deco style depicts a jester admiring himself in a hand-held mirror. Others are elaborate depictions of historic events like Columbus sighting America or the World War I armistice. Many are the pictorial representation of a young nation feeling its oats, and patriotic symbols like the bald eagle, American flags, and assorted medals and banners abound.

You should see these miniature gems of lithographic art in person to fully appreciate the quality of workmanship and vibrancy of the colors; but if that’s not possible, check out their Web site.

Susanne Forestieri was the winner of the prestigious 1996 National Endowment for the Arts fellowship in painting. As an NEA fellowship winner, she is represented in the Smithsonian Museum of American Art. She can be contacted at [email protected].