Can't you just TASTE it?     New! Improved!     The Cuban Connection

 The Cuban Connection

Cuba has long been regarded as the ideal locale for growing cigar tobacco and as home to the finest cigar makers in the world. It was from Cuba that most of Canada’s cigar manufacturers imported the leaf to make their product—and sometimes, the men to roll the cigars as well.

Manufacturers did their best to show their cigars’ Cuban connection—"Cubanicity"—on their box labels, sometimes to the point of implying that the contents WERE Cuban. How? With a brand name that looked Spanish, prominent use on their packaging of the words Havana or Cuba, or images of Hispanic ladies and tropical island motifs: palm trees, haciendas, dark-skinned dock workers in straw hats.

		Cubana Trimmed nailed wood box (50) Factory 2 Port 50-E Series C Topper Cigar Co., Toronto, Ont. CMC 2004.216.11 | D2005-17253
		Cuban Barons Trimmed nailed wood box (50) Factory 7 Port 10-D Series C Jose Granda Limited, Montreal, Que. CMC 2003.46.10 | S2003-3176
		In spite of his Cuban-sounding name, Jose Granda actually came to Montreal from the north of Spain. Granda's De Luxe Trimmed nailed wood box (50) Factory 38 Port 10-D Series C Jose Granda, Montreal, Que. CMC 2003.46.15 | S2003-3191
		Simon's Havanas Trimmed nailed wood box (50) Series C H. Simon & Sons, Montreal, Que. CMC 2001.185.70 | S2002-7037 Tony Hyman Collection
		Some companies even touted the "Cubanicity" of rejects and the seconds made with leftover cuttings of Cuban leaf. Simon's Havana Seconds Trimmed nailed wood box (50) Factory 38 Port 10-D Series of 1922 H. Simon & Sons, Montreal, Que. CMC 2001.185.45 | S2002-6965 Tony Hyman Collection
		Havana "Pep" Trimmed nailed wood box (50) Factory 10 Port 50-E Series of 1922 Punch Cigar Co., Ltd., Toronto, Ont. CMC 2001.185.52 | S2002-6985 Tony Hyman Collection
		El Roi-Tan Trimmed nailed wood box (25) Factory 14 IRD 36 Series of 1897 Likely the Orpheum Cigar Co., Winnipeg, Man. CMC 2004.120.4 | D2004-20030
		La Bella Otero Trimmed nailed wood box (50) Factory 10 IRD 17 Series of 1915 J.O., Montreal, Que. CMC 2003.46.44 | S2003-3278
		La Farosa Trimmed nailed wood box (50) Factory 7 IRD 10 Series of 1915 Eastern Townships Cigar Co., Sherbrooke, Que. CMC 2004.38.43 | D2004-19324 Eddy Echenberg Collection
		La Palina Trimmed nailed wood box (25) Factory 6 Port 10-D Series of 1922 General Cigar Company, Montreal, Que. CMC 2001.185.72 | S2002-7043 Tony Hyman Collection
		Las Palmas Trimmed nailed wood box (50) Factory 5 IRD 14 Series of 1897 Maker unknown, Joliette, Que. CMC 2001.185.24 | S2002-6902 Tony Hyman Collection
		Convincidad Boîte nature box (10) Factory 3 IRD 12 Series of 1897 Likely J.M. Fortier, Ltd., Farnham, Que. CMC 2001.185.59 a-b | S2002-7004 Tony Hyman Collection
		Harvester Trimmed nailed wood box (50) Factory 22 IRD 17 Series of 1915 The Canada Cigar & Tobacco Co. Ltd., Montreal, Que. CMC 2003.46.90 | S2004-179
		Irma Trimmed nailed wood box (50) Factory 38  IRD 17 Series of 1897 H. Simon & Sons, Montreal, Que. CMC 2003.46.5 | S2003-3160
		Ovido Trimmed nailed wood box (50) Factory 2 Port 10-D Series of 1922 L.O. Grothé , Ltd., Montreal, Que. CMC 2001.185.49 | S2002-6977 Tony Hyman Collection
		Solicidad Trimmed nailed wood box (10) Factory 18 IRD 30 Series of 1897 Hilda Cigar Co., Hamilton, Ont. CMC D-13739 a-b | D2002-013735
		Au Turc Trimmed nailed wood box (100) Factory 5 IRD 10 Series of 1897 Maker unknown, Sherbrooke, Que. CMC 2001.185.27 | S2002-6911 Tony Hyman Collection
T O P