Judge, 1919-09-20 · page 36 of 36
Judge — September 20, 1919 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a cigarette advertisement for Helmar Turkish cigarettes, not political satire. The image shows an ornate box featuring Egyptian/pharaonic imagery—specifically a woman in profile wearing a traditional Egyptian headdress, flanked by pharaonic figures and hieroglyphic-style decorations. The ad uses exotic "Orientalist" imagery popular in early 20th-century marketing to suggest luxury and sophistication. The text emphasizes the product's "pure Turkish" origin and appeals to gentlemen by promising quality and a money-back guarantee. This reflects the historical marketing practice of using non-Western imagery to imply exoticism and premium quality—a common advertising trope of that era that would be considered culturally appropriative today.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
" i oan AU SEEE LCC Cove, Remember the Box and the Name —HELMAR. Remember—Helmar is pure Turkish—the fittest tobacco for a gentleman’s cigarette. Remember—if you don’t like Helmar, you get your money back. Quality- Superb