Exhibits
Tobacco Advertising, 1880s-1920s
In the 1880s, American tobacco companies competed for their share of the market as they tried to attract male cigar smokers and get them to try cigarettes. Like manufacturers of other consumer products, tobacco firms offered their customers free cards in every package that contained different imagery, such as birds, animals, foreign flags, and baseball players. Firms produced cards in sets to be collected and since the cards could not be purchased separately, the only way to complete a set was to buy more cigarettes.
This exhibit explores the ways that tobacco companies tempted customers with a variety of novelties tucked within their packages.