06-25-2008, 05:48 AM
With the current political battles going on this year, I thought it would be a good time to consider the role that cigars have played in American politics. It seems ironic to me that, in the face of nationwide anti-tobacco legislation, we seem to have forgotten the rather important role that cigars have played in the political arena over the past 150 years.
The photo below shows a couple of cigar boxes that are referred to as "Your Choice" boxes. They were so-called because during elections, they were placed side-by-side on the counters in many stores and your could "voice" your selection by choosing from one box or the other. Kind of a simple polling system. These boxes are from the 1888 election.
On a recent visit with my friend Tony Hyman, we were discussing these issues and I asked him if he would write an article for the Stogie Fresh Cigar Journal on some of his favorite examples of how cigars have played a role in politics. I just published this article and would like to share it with you. It's titled: Cigars and Politics.
Tony is one of the foremost American experts on cigar history and he has an awesome collection of cigar boxes an tobacciana. I don't know about you, but I am absolutely fascinated by cigar history, and this article is a gem.
Enjoy!
Doc
The photo below shows a couple of cigar boxes that are referred to as "Your Choice" boxes. They were so-called because during elections, they were placed side-by-side on the counters in many stores and your could "voice" your selection by choosing from one box or the other. Kind of a simple polling system. These boxes are from the 1888 election.
On a recent visit with my friend Tony Hyman, we were discussing these issues and I asked him if he would write an article for the Stogie Fresh Cigar Journal on some of his favorite examples of how cigars have played a role in politics. I just published this article and would like to share it with you. It's titled: Cigars and Politics.
Tony is one of the foremost American experts on cigar history and he has an awesome collection of cigar boxes an tobacciana. I don't know about you, but I am absolutely fascinated by cigar history, and this article is a gem.
Enjoy!
Doc