At the turn of the 20th century, four out of five men in the United States smoked cigars. To attract these many smokers, cigar makers created attention-grabbing packages, like this Joe Cannon-branded box. The famous politician—who was also famously fond of cigars—appears on a colorful lithographic print on the inside of the box. His portrait is flanked by symbols indicating his status as a lawmaker, including a laurel wreath, book, gavel, scroll, and inkwell. A second colored label with Cannon’s image wraps around the outside of the box.
