Cigar Box, Kelly's Gold
Datec. 1883
Credit LineGift of Dr. J.M. Waters, 1992.
Object number1992.002.006
Label TextThis is a William Kelly and Sons cigar box. In the late 19th century, London had dozens of cigar factories whose buildings still stand in the city's downtown. The city was second only to Montreal when it came to the production of cigars in Victorian Canada. London’s cigar-making industry took off after Prime Minister John A. Macdonald introduced the National Policy in 1879. This placed duties on manufactured products, like German cigars, but not on unprocessed materials like Cuban and American tobacco. Homegrown business could produce good quality, affordable products, including cigars. The city's cigar industry began to decline during the First World War (1914-1918). With the introduction of Prohibition in 1916, the cigar industry suffered because the treating system ended. In that system, men in taverns would buy each other drinks, and those who didn't drink would receive a cigar. Another blow to cigars was the popularity of cigarettes. Men who smoked cigarettes during the First World War kept up the habit when they returned home. Late 19th and early 20th century cigar box labels let us see the view that Canadians had of themselves and their country. The label on this William Kelly and Sons cigar box depicts a northern theme: the Yukon Gold Rush.
NameBox, Cigar
