December 3, 2008
Electric cigar lighters were introduced and became popular in the 1920's and 30's. They worked like the lighters in cars: a coil was heated by electricity, then touched to the end of the cigar. Other cigar lighters were similar to cigarette lighters, except that they were table lighters, as cigars were generally enjoyed at home or the club, not on the go.
Cigar lighters were mostly made in metals, with some ornate table lighters featuring wooden, resin, or even marble bases. Most were naptha lighters, though more recently butane 'torch' style lighters have become popular with cigar smokers.
Cigarette lighter collecting is a hobby that never gets boring. Just by browsing eBay auctions for ten minute… [more]
This ambitious site showcases the 20,000-item Rankei Library matchbook collection, owned by the Japan Match Manufac… [more]
Don Wearmouth and his wife showcase the 230 beautiful silk designs that were distributed free with Kensitas cigaret… [more]
This classy looking British site features hundreds of high resolution photos of antique porcelain pre-war (enamel) … [more]
Jane McDevitt's huge Flickr photoset of matchbox labels, primarily Eastern European, from the 1950s and 60s. These … [more]
This gallery of cigarette magazine advertising from the 1940s and 50s contains no surgeon general's warning, just p… [more]
James Lileks' gallery of 250 matchbooks from coffee shops, hotels, motels, bars, banks, restaurants and more. Lilek… [more]
Puff on this... over 1,000 cigar bands from the 1890s through 1920s, organized into themed galleries such as Portra… [more]
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