Cigar Box Lithographs

by Charles J. Humber

2018 · FriesenPress

CIGAR BOX LITHOGRAPHS: The Inside Stories Uncovered is a thought-provoking production exposing its readership to more than 160 vintage cigar boxes manufactured during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Most convey stunning litho- graphs that portray prominent historical figures. Such cigar boxes during the 19th century attracted a massive smoking cliental numbering in the millions.... While puffers more than one hundred years ago likely recognized the prominent personalities peering at them from the inside labels of these wooden cigar boxes, those same headlined names, today, are now essentially erased from memory. Lew Wallace (1827- 1905), portrayed in this stunning portrait label, is virtually a forgotten name today. World-famous during his day, he was not only a Major General during the Civil War but became more famous when he wrote what some consider to be the best-selling novel of the 19th century. His Ben Hur (see page 34), a novel that was turned into a Hollywood blockbuster winning a record eleven Oscars in 1959, was certainly the most read and the best-known book title during the 20th century, that is, until it was superseded by Gone with the Wind in the 1930s. By examining the cartouche to the left of this stunning label portrait, one detects Wallace’s role as a General during the Civil War, especially at the Battle of Shiloh. The cartouche to the right of his portrait details his writing studio in Crawfordsville, Indiana. This is where his most famous novel was written. Cigar boxes from the past often became an educational platform inadvertently recording and preserving history. To this day, this nearly 120-year old collectible cigar container whispers its provocative past, that is, providing one takes time out to lift its lid and peer at the lithographic image waiting to be re-discovered or uncovered.... Peer long enough and the box just might whisper its past to you.

Cigar Box Lithographs Volume VII

by Charles J. Humber

The objective of volume VII of the Cigar Box Lithographs series has been to acknowledge women with assorted backgrounds who envisioned fostering cultural foundations in support of future generations all eager to climb social ladders. To discover cigar boxes featuring such hailed women has certainly been a huge challenge especially when considering that the great majority of such wooden containers were carelessly tossed into fireplaces or cast off in dumps more than 100 years ago. Nonetheless, the author of this production has been most fortunate to locate a gamut of cigar boxes identified with such a worthy subject matter. The women featured on these cigar boxes, wooden containers assembled between 1875 and 1920, not only enhanced such crafted packets during past times but were considered legendary household names during their era. For sure, their edifying influence has assisted in making life more satisfactory and extra rewarding.