In the late 1880s, cigarette manufacturers began inserting stiffening cards into their paper packs of cigarettes to strengthen the containers. It wasn’t long before they got the idea to put artwork, trivia, famous people, and pretty girls onto those cards, grouped into collectible series. The cards, which continued into the 1940s, are highly valuable now, with the most expensive (bearing the face of stringent anti-smoking baseball player Honus Wagner) selling for $2.8 million in 2007.
In the 1910s, Gallaher Ltd of Belfast & London and Ogden’s Branch of the Imperial Tobacco Co printed “How-To” series, with clever hints for both everyday and emergency situations. From steaming out a splinter to stopping a mad dog, these cigarette cards told you the smart way to handle many of life’s problems.
(Please note these cards were published a hundred years ago, when safety was not as popular a pursuit as it is now. For that reason, we can’t recommend trying any of these, as brilliant as they may be.)
How to make a fire extuinguisher
How to light a match in the wind
How to keep plants watered while away on holiday
Details of each and 7 more of the amazing 10 Lifehacks from 100 Years Ago on DigitalGallery.nypl.org.
Source: DigitalGallery.nypl.org.