The Art of the Smoke - A Pictorial History of Cigar Box Labels (Hardcover)

"A picture is worth a thousand words." There is no better description for what the art of the cigar box label did for sales of cigars from the mid 1800s through the 1930s. Busty women, heroes, impish children, sports icons, composers, all these and more found their way into the advertiser's art. The makers would change labels at the drop of the hat if they thought it would help sales. This new book shows hundreds of the finest examples from the world's largest private collection of cigar box label art, revealing the imagination and creativity of the printers and lithographers of the period. Each is shown in a beautiful, full color photograph and is accompanied by a description with a current value on the collector's market. This is a visual delight, sure to please cigar aficionados, but also to be much valued by collectors, designers, and students of advertising history. And it makes a great gift for the smoker in your life!