Murad Turkish Cigarette advertisement with polo player and horse

Share

Advertising from the turn of the twentieth century often borrowed the glamour of sport, and this card pairs a mounted polo player with the Murad cigarette brand. Polo was a fashionable pastime among wealthy men in both Britain and America during those decades, so the imagery was meant to tie a smoke to leisure, speed and social standing. Tobacco makers of the period printed such cards in large runs, often tucked into cigarette packets or sold as collectible inserts. Notice how the rider and pony dominate the frame while the product name sits in the margin, a reminder that the sport, not the tobacco, was the selling point.

More from the Tobacco collection

Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.