In the 19th century wild game was a way of life. More than half the country hunted or fished to help supplement their diet. Wild game was common fare in restaurants. It’s no wonder that hunting and fishing ran a close second to horse racing in the world of cigar boxes and labels. After all, their market was male and images were chosen to reflect what men knew and liked.
Hunting & Fishing
A National Cigar Museum Exhibit
© Tony Hyman
Odd label without a strong central image. Cigars by Guderian & Beiser, Fact 58, the only cigar factory in Algona, Iowa. c. 1920, with an earlier style label.
[0867]
Beautiful embossed label, name used with permission of FOREST AND STREAM magazine. Cigars by C.H. Eggert, Fact. 643, 1st Dist.
Brooklyn, NY, c1910.
[0764]
Anderson Brothers, Menomonie, Wisc., created this long-lived brand featuring them engaging in outdoor activities. Fact. 65, around 1920. This box is cardboard, but they are also in wood.
[0762]
F.M. Howell monochrome hunting label used by Little Brothers’ Fact. 156, 21st Dist., Monrovia, New York, 1916.
[0861]
Colorful dog-centered hunting label used in 1917 by
B.F. Kern of Red Run, PA, Fact. 76, 9th Dist.
[0866]
Especially good looking F.M. Howell label used by Albert Raffl, Fact. 67 Red Bud, Illinois, c1913.
[0855]
Wealthy Saginaw Michigan gun club featured on a vanity label by Joe Ditz, Fact 479 Mich, 1913.
More than 60 members, a marching band, fancy clubhouse with spotting tower are pictured on this popular somewhat long-lived brand. [0893]
George Schulz satirized his colleague’s brand by picturing 34 men and boys with guns and two dogs holding a cloth banner in front of a wooded cemetery. Fact 479 Saginaw 1913. Much more
difficult to find box. [0892]
Early 1880’s Harris & Sons label featuring hunting and camping in a 70’s style. As is often the case on boxes of that period, there’s no brand name on the label. Cigars made in Fact. 2950, 1st PA [0843]
A gem with the oddly named Badgers frontmark produced by John Haas, Fact. 263, the only one in Barton, Wisconsin.
[0865]
NWH style box from around 1890 with what appears to be a pro-hunting top brand. Fact. 175, Wisconsin.
[0835]
The inside litho of peaceful animals in bucolic setting seems to contradict the top brand.
Unusual use of gold ink with a predominantly
green and brown label.
[0836]
More gory than most hunting boxes. The moose head appears to be observing his departure with a somewhat bemused expression. Cigars by one of the 500 rollers at S. Ottenberg & Bros. Fact. 1065, 3rd Dist. NYC. c.1890 [5557]
Lovely 1880’s fishing label by Schumacher & Ettlinger used by unknown cigar maker Fact. 251, 21st Central New York. A wine, woman, lunch, cigars, a book, a babbling brook with fish...ahhhh.
[0820]
NYC printer Schmidt & Co. offered this stock label in their catalog around the turn of the century.
[0845]
A. Kohler of Dallastown (or one of his customers) chose the label but changed the name. Fact. 1487, 9th Dist. PA. c.1905. The word speckled in the title usually indicates use of spotted tobacco wrapper.
[0844]
The most common fishing box for fifty years was
used by Ferd Haak’s Fact. 67, 4th Dist. Davenport, Iowa. This example dates c. 1905
[0846]
Another well known frequently seen fishing box, this by F.H. Mertz of Saginaw, Michigan’s Factory 160.
Around for decades, this one is from 1950.
[0875]
This 1880’s box design will stand out in a cigar counter, but will images of slippery fish sell cigars? Cigars by Henry Aldag, Fact. 9, 4th Illinois.
[0812]
Copycat design? or just another printer’s version?
A waterfall and liquid refreshment have been added. Fact. 984, 18th Ohio was owned by the Standard Tobacco and Cigar Co.
[0819]
U.S. top brands tend to be much more elaborate than Cuban marcas. U.S. top brands are related to the inners on many golden age boxes. Cigars by W.J. Neff, Fact. 533, 9th Red Lion, PA c1905.
[0842]
The cigars are speckled on this comparatively poor litho of a fisherman.
[0841]
Similar fish top brand. Note use of cattails to
simulate oval shape. 1910-1915 tax stamp. Fact. 126, 1st, Nebraska was C. Singer in Blair.
[0885]
Nice inner fish label with extensive use of hard-to-print silver ink. Printers dissuaded customers from ordering it because of high waste and more cost.
[5790]
Simply drawn monochromatic label fails to adequately depict the joy of early morning fishing.
Note the cigar label fisherman heretically smokes a pipe. Fact. 195, 9th PA, 1910-15.
[0859]
This lovely box with the weirdly inappropriate label is technically called a “Semi-Boite Nature” by box makers. Offsetting the top brand permits the tax stamp to be applied without covering it.
[5793]
Which end do you light?
[5794]
This charming 1880’s box held plug tobacco, not cigars, but is irresistible with its naive four color graphics of fishermen and hunters. Paper on all sides. Fact. 1 Mich. for H.P. Brewster, Rochester.
[0715]
