The Cigar Store Indian and Other Vintage Advertising Sculptures

What is a Cigar Store Indian? The cigar store Indian is a form of iconic advertising art consisting of a stylized rendition of a Native American, usually wearing a war bonnet or feathered headdress. From the mid 1800s until around the start of World War 1, these wooden sculptures stood on guard outside of shops throughout the United States, declaring that there were cigars and tobacco for sale inside. Female Cigar Store Indian Advertising Vin Hess Pipes Today, cigar store Indians (also called wooden Indians) have fallen out of favor and are seen by many, especially Native Americans, as stereotypical caricatures. Nevertheless we can still admire the artistry that went into carving these pieces of American folk art by hand. https://youtu.be/d4_lZkxFYnI The Biggest Collection of Cigar Store Indians Traditionally. cigar store Indians were hand carved from white pine and so no two pieces are identical. However, there are certain recurring themes. The men were depicted as muscular warriors wearing a feathered war bonnet. Female cigar store Indians wear often buxom. Depending on the quality of the craftsmanship and condition, an antique cigar store Indian now sometimes sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. A Fearsome Cigar Store Warrior - Standing Next to a Blackboard Advertising a Restaurant Menu. The Statue is Missing a Hand. The practice of placing wooden Indians in front of tobacconist shops actually originated in England, prior to the American revolution. European colonists and explorers had noted the Native practice of smoking tobacco, and had imported the custom to England. As a result, the Native American became associated with tobacco and, by extension, with cigars. The symbol became firmly associated with cigar shops when the British government passed a law forbidding overhead signs, which had proved to be a dangerous menace to passersby. To circumvent this prohibition, and still draw attention to their establishment, the shop keepers started putting colorful wooden statues of American Indians in front of their stores. The practice spread to America and eventually became even more widespread than in England. Elaborately Carved Cigar Store Indian Stands In Front of a Shop Window Advertising Fine "Segars". Eventually the cigar store Indian was so prevalent that it no longer drew attention, so shop keepers turned to other subjects including baseball players, police officers, and various figures from Greek and Roman mythology. Although not as well known, these variants are in the same tradition of advertising art. Below is a collection of vintage photos showing traditional cigar store Indians and other figures standing outside of shops in New York City in the early 1900s. The picture quality is not great, due to the limitation of cameras at the time and also because they were scanned from an old book by Kate Sanborn published in 1911. However the photos are still of interest, not only because they are in many cases the only trace left of these beautiful pieces of folkloric art, but also because you can often see the shop window and the signage in the background, giving us an amazing glimpse at a different era and world. Advertising the Finest Cuban Cigars - Note that the Statue is on Wheels So that it Can be Moved Inside At Night. This cigars store Indian was clearly carved by an artist. Note the excellent proportions of the body and the amazing details of the statue's clothing (including the folds of his buckskins) and accessories such as a knife and pouch. This statue is carrying a baby on his back and entreats you to "Smoke My Arboleda" for only 6 cents. This cigar store Indian is unusually lifelike. The creases in his trousers and his pose add to the realism. Notably he is not wearing a feathered war bonnet, making him less stereotypical. Next, other types of carved advertising statues and figures. Carved Advertising Figures. Although these types of advertising figures traditionally depicted Native Americans, this was not always the case. Below are examples of cigar store advertising statues depicting a variety of subjects. Not Sure Who This Is Scotsman in a Kilt A Bit of a Departure. This one advertises Pool and Billiards. Behind him a sign reads "David Sussm[an] City Marshall For all Courts." Statue of a Greek or Roman Woman A Horse Jockey. Note the beautiful vintage advertising on the wheeled base and in the window display behind him. Cigar Store Statue of a Police Officer. This one is standing outside of a drug store advertising pain relief medication. Note also the very large thermometer attached to the side of the building. A Turbaned Man. This statue is likely meant to depict a Turk, to advertise a certain brand. A Baseball Player. Note the advertisements in the shop window behind him. An Interesting Harlequin - Punch from Punch and Judy Fame. Conclusion. We hope that you have enjoyed this look back at the cigar store Indian, in all his (and her) forms. What surprised me in preparing this article was how many variations there were, and how very often the statues had nothing to do with Native Americans. Cigar store Indian - WikipediaThe cigar store Indian or wooden Indian is an advertisement figure, in the likeness of a Native American, used to represent tobacconists. The figures are often ... Wood Cigar Store Indian statues and figures with History and Origin ...Cigar-Store Indians were designed to capture the attention of the people walking by, informing them that tobacco was sold inside. It is said that the average cigar ...

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Carved Advertising Figures

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