Life, 1905-03-30 · page 24 of 24
Life — March 30, 1905 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a full-page advertisement, not a political cartoon. It promotes Henry Clay brand Havana cigars manufactured in Cuba and sold by the Havana Tobacco Company in New York (dated March 30, 1905). The ad showcases six new cigar sizes with names drawn from naval military ranks: Secretary Navy, Admiral, Commodore, Commander, Ensign, and Cadet. These military titles served a marketing purpose—they helped consumers identify different sizes and price points (ranging from 15 cents to 50 cents). The advertisement emphasizes the brand's century-long reputation, the use of tobacco from "our own plantations," and that cigars are hand-rolled by experienced workers in the original Havana factory. The branding strategy reflects the era's association of quality imported Havana cigars with prestige and sophistication among American consumers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
March 30, 1905, HERE is no better known name and trade-mark identified with Havana Cigars than HENRY CLAY. This name has for several generations stood for fine quality only, and has without doubt had as much influence in building up the repu- tation of Havana Cigars as any one brand known to the public. Here are six new shapes and sizes— original and distinguished! They have the refined “Regalia” style, but modified from the extreme La Flor de Heary Clay pointed shape. The skill, the experience and the traditions of a century are combined in this new production from the famous HENRY CLAY factory. A selection of tobacco has been made for these six new “NAVY” sizes from our own plantations that is unapproachable, for they are mild and yet have that rare aromatic quality so prized in the finer Havana Cigars. They are made in the original HENRY CLAY factory and by the same workmen who have made HENRY CLAY cigars for a generation. In addition to possessing these characteristic traits of quality and style, these new shapes and these new names are given them to aid the smoker to identify the different sizes and fix in his mind their grading prices. They are now for sale by the leading Importers and Retailers of fine cigars in all the large cities in the United States. 3 FOR 50 CENTS NSIGN. COMMODOR E— 25 CENTS COMMANDER—20 CADET—15 CENTS’ ADMIRAL—38 FOR 81,00 SECTY. NAV Y—5So CENTS JULIAN ALVAREZ, CALZADA DE LUYANO 100 Habana, Cuba HAVANA TOBACCO COMPANY, 111 Fifth Ave., New York General Selling Agents for the United States comicbooks.com