Selling Smoke
Selling Smoke

How Canadian Cigar Boxes Pitched Their Wares  1883-1935

Text and Numbers

Amid all the fancy images in a cigar shop display case, a brand name presented as an attractive graphic, perhaps even printed right on the wood, might stand out. No claims, no symbols, no images: just words or numbers and beautiful colours-or no colour at all.

Cigar box label : 2 Cents Straight  
2 Cents Straight
Trimmed nailed wood box (100)
Factory 8 IRD 17 Series of 1897
Likely P.A. Pelletier & Co., Montreal, Que.
CMC 2003.46.161
Cigar box label : 7-2-4  
7-2-4
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 32 Port 10-D Series C
De Luxe Cigar Factory, Montreal, Que.
CMC 2003.46.19 | S2003-3203
Cigar box label : Bachelor  
Bachelor
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 26 Port 50E Series of 1922
Andrew Wilson & Co., Ltd., Toronto, Ont.
CMC 2001.185.47 | S2002-6971
Tony Hyman Collection
Cigar box label : The Berlin Cigar  
The Berlin Cigar
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 8 IRD 28  Circa 1897
Von Neubronn & Co., Berlin (Kitchener), Ont.
CMC 2004.38.18 | D2005-22672
Cigar box label : Big 5  
Big 5
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 11 Port 22-E Series of 1922
North American Cigar Co., Kitchener, Ont.
CMC D-13657 | D2002-013851
Cigar box label : Bollard's Mild  
Bollard's Mild
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 44 Port 10-D Series of 1924
H. St-Georges, Enrg., Joliette, Que.
CMC D-13687 | D2002-013857
Cigar box label : Crow  
Crow
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 4 IRD 30 Series of 1883
Jones Bros., Woodstock, Ont.
CMC 2003.46.92 | S2004-194
Cigar box label : Gold Coin  
Gold Coin
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 8 IRD 12 Series of 1897
Likely N. Préfontaine, Marieville, Que.
CMC 2003.46.62 | S2003-3331
Cigar box label : Highway  
Highway
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 38 Port 10-D Series of 1922
Spires Brothers, Toronto, Ont.
CMC 2003.46.35 | S2003-3251
Cigar box label : Humber  
Humber
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 26 Port 50-E Series of 1922
Andrew Wilson & Co., Toronto, Ont.
CMC 2001.185.46 | S2002-6968
Cigar box label : Kinkead's Panetela Extra  
Kinkead's Panetela Extra
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 26 IRD 17 Series of 1897
A.E. Kinkead & Co., Sherbrooke, Que.
CMC 2004.38.38
Eddy Echenberg Collection
Cigar box label : Norma  
Norma
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 7 Port 24-E Series of 1922
John McNee & Sons, London, Ont.
CMC 2004.120.10 | D2004-20018
Cigar box label : Simon's Smokers  
Simon's Smokers
Trimmed nailed wood box (100)
Factory 38 Port 10-D Series of 1924
H. Simon & Sons, Montreal, Que.
CMC 2004.38.55 | D2004-19316
Eddy Echenberg Collection
Cigar box label : The Straight 5  
The Straight 5
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 34 IRD 17 Series of 1883
J. Hirsch, Sons & Co., Montreal, Que.
CMC 2003.46.83 | S2004-185
Cigar box label : C.B.  
C.B.
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 10 Port 22-E ca. 1924-1935
Charles Blankstein, Berlin, Ont.
CMC 2005.41.3 | D2005-19888
Cigar box label : Cabinets  
Cabinets
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 6 IRD 36 Series of 1897
Peter Heinbecker, Listowel, Ont.
CMC 2004.38.17 | D2004-19340
Cigar box label : The Pride of Victoria  
The Pride of Victoria
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 11 IRD 37 Series of 1897
Pride Cigar Factory, Victoria, B.C.
CMC F-9175 | D2002-013845
Cigar box label : Manilla Straights  
Manilla Straights
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 7 IRD 6 Series of 1897
A.S. Hart, Saint John, N.B.
CMC 2003.46.72
Cigar box label : Tory  
Tory
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 2 IRD 28 ca. 1900-1920
The Imperial Cigar Company (Limited), Kitchener, Ont.
CMC 2003.46.65
Cigar box label : Tom Tiger  
Tom Tiger
Trimmed nailed wood box (50)
Factory 9 IRD 17 Series of 1915
E. Levy or J.E. Normandin, Montreal, Que.
CMC 2005.41.14 | D2005-19899
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