Dr. Grabow Pipes & More

Around 1878-1892 or the Early Golden-Age, was a new time in the portrayal of women in advertising premium cigars. In this decade, advertising began featuring ladies of all social classes from the President’s bride to public laundresses and ladies of all levels of accomplishment, from growing gigantic boobs to achieving great inventive accomplishments. There aren’t a lot of of the second, though, as the correct role of women stayed highly limited, in advertising and real life, till the social revolution of the 1960’s. This decade featured more naked, more semi-nude, more provacative and suggestive ladies on premium cigars boxes than at any other time in advertising history. Before the 1880’s, nudes were often allegorical, sex was hardly hinted at, and girls inclined to be demure, reserved, confined to highly outlined roles, either family or the humanities. Cigar box girls were usually formal, static, and revealed in black and white. Against this, ladies of the 1880’s were colourful in color and design, showing sexiness, fortitude, and formerly unseen range of pose, dress, locale, and perspective. They were never absolutely liberated, but they were on their way.

I have smoked Macanudo Cigars for years now, and read that they came from Jamaica. That appeared strange becauce I haven’t heard much about Jamaican tobacco. Apparently, Cuban immigrants brought tobacco seeds to Jamaica, as they did every where else they moved to. But due to hurricanes, work issues and war, it has been a difficult road for the Jamaican tobacco plant. Macanudo, which came from Jamaica is now handmade by General Cigar Company, located in Connecticut. They create quality, high end, premium cigars, including Macanudo. They use their own Connecticut shade wrappers, and various tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Africa for the filler and binder. These are my favourite cigars for many reasons, I love the sweet but spicy flavor. They are robust, although not overwhelming. I am able to smoke once a day and be satisfied. There are only a few known Jamaican cigars around nowadays, and they appear tough to come by. If the others taste as well as a Macanudo, I may switch, but for now I’m sticking to what I like.