Life, 1928-11-30 · page 27 of 52
Life — November 30, 1928 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Cuban government advertisement** for Havana cigars, not satire. It appears in Life magazine promoting genuine Cuban cigars to American male consumers. The image shows a distinguished gentleman examining a cigar box, emphasizing luxury and refinement. The text stresses that authentic Havana cigars are identifiable by an official green government seal from Cuba's tobacco commission, guaranteeing quality. The advertisement appeals to American connoisseurship and masculine sophistication—cigars as a "distinguished gift" signaling taste and status. It emphasizes the product's exclusivity: tobacco from specific Cuban regions, multi-generational craftsmanship, and tropical cultivation conditions that cannot be replicated elsewhere. This represents pre-1959 Cuban-American trade relations, when Havana cigars were prestigious luxury goods freely imported and advertised in major American publications. The Cuban government actively promoted this export to maintain commercial ties and prestige.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE 25 A distinguished gift for any man! This green label bearing the official Seal of the R Cuba antecs the ly with Imported Cigars. Look for it on ‘every box you buy. -reuilily distinguished by the label! From the outside, the only way to tell Genuine Imported Havana Cigars is by the label. Every box is sealed with a large green band bearing the official guarantee of the Republic of Cuba, 4 From the inside, of course, the quality speaks for itself, for the finest and most delicately flavored tobaccos are Cuban grown. 9 Like the special quality of rare vintage, the fine quality leaf that goes into Genuine Imported Havana Cigars belongs to particular localities, outside of which it cannot be cultivated. J Thru generations, the most valuable qualities of tobacco have been mellowed under most favorable tropical conditions. §Thru generations, nimble, native fingers have developed rare skill in the fine art of selecting, blend- ing and rolling. § Genuine Imported Havana Cigars are the supreme gift of infinite satisfaction to the connoisseur—and who is not when it comes to cigars! J Genuine Imported Havana Cigars are sold wherever good cigars are offered. Look for the official government band on every box. Imported [Havana CIGARS COMISION NACIONAL DE PROPAGANDA Y DEFENSA DEL TABACO HABANO HABANA, CUBA comicbooks.com