Cigarette models and the Revolutionary War

The New York City Public Library has begun the digitization of a major collection of Revolutionary War and early American documents, which will be a significant addition to their Digital Gallery. The gallery already is a real treasure trove of everything from photos to maps to illuminated manuscripts.

The image at left is from their site's collection of cigarette cards; in the late 19th and early 20th century, cigarette manufacturers sought to spur sales by including cards, somewhat like gum manufacturers did with baseball cards. A great collection when looking for examples of advertising history!