Orig 1889 French JoB rolling papers advertising placard

[haze crazy]

Here's something I've had hanging in my office. I bought it from a poster dealer at the Scott Antiques Market in Atlanta 15 years ago. It is an original lithograph printed advertising placard that would have been put in a store window or on the wall. It advertises J B rolling papers and was drawn by the famous French artist Chaix. As you can see, even 120 years ago the advertising industry was using sex to sell products!

 

[Brother Bear]

sex has probably always sold nice find

 

[DoobieDuck]

haze that's a great piece of collectable art...DD

 

[indifferent]

That is pretty early for a cigarette paper advert imho. The first time western europeans encountered the idea of smoking tobacco wrapped in paper to form a cigarette was in the Crimean war in 1855-56 when British and French troops were fascinated by thehabit of their Turkish allies of using pieces of newspaper to roll cigarettes. Before this, everyone used a small clay pipe. The technique was brought home by the returning soldiers and some enterprising Frenchies invented the gummed cigarette paper. I think Zig-Zag was the first brend. Ever notice that Zig-Zags have a picture of a guy in a red North African style hat with a waxed moustache on the packet? It's a picture of a Zouave, a colonial soldier from North Africa serving in the French Army.