Smokem If You Gotem

QUESTION: My mother used to smoke, and she assembled a collection of antique cigarette cases. She began with one she found at a flea market, but after a while she added one, then another, and another. Over time, she amassed quite a collection. Sadly, she died from lung cancer. I inherited her collection. I don’t smoke but find the design of these cases fascinating. Considering the attitude towards smoking, are cigarette cases collectible, and if so, what can you tell me about their history?

ANSWER: Antique cigarette cases first appeared in the late 19th century, coinciding with the industrialization of cigarette manufacturing, and became symbols of status among wealthy Victorian society. They were originally designed to protect delicate cigarettes but evolved into fashionable accessories reflecting the artistic styles of the time.

The primary function for a cigarette case is to keep the fragile tubes of tobacco from being crushed. But smoking cigarettes has long been associated with style and fashion, which is why cigarette cases quickly became highly decorative personal accessories.

During the peak of smoking popularity during the first half of the 20th century, cigarette cases were a common accessory for both sexes. Additionally, they had monograms, enamel, and rhinestone decoration. Some featured engraved or hammered scenes. They became an essential part of a woman’s look, as important as a scarf or hat. 

Cigarette cases first appeared during the Victorian era when smokers were primarily men. Cases were usually made of silver- or gold-toned metal in a slim rectangular shape, which opened like a book to display cigarettes on both sides. These cases not only provided easy access but protected the cigarettes.

Manufacturers have made cigarette cases from brass, sterling silver, silverplate, vinyl, Bakelite, wood, enamel, leather/animal skin, mother-of-pearl, 9k and 14k gold, gold-tone metal, and mesh. Common embellishments and designs include engravings, monograms, filigree, guilloché, peacocks/birds, flowers, fruits, cabochons, gemstones, animals, and cityscapes.

Silver was one of the most common materials used to make antique and vintage cigarette cases. Designers and jewelers would emboss and chase their cases to create everything from delicate floral or geometric patterns to bold designs, such as a coat of arms. The interiors of better cases were gilded, sometimes bearing a tender or congratulatory inscription. The surfaces of other cases were hammered, to give them an Arts and Crafts look. There were also silver cases whose flat surfaces were interrupted and punctuated by inlaid bands of gold.

After World War I, when cigarette smoking was extremely popular and chic, Paris became a center for cigarette-case design. Originally simple in appearance, cigarette cases grew increasingly ornate by the 1920s. During the Art Nouveau period, makers produced intricate designs on cases, including engraved or inlaid wild birds or flowers. Some men’s cases featured scantily clad women or their initials.

One Parisian designer from the 1920s, Raymond Templier, created lacquered cases as well as silver-and-enamel cases, both sporting brightly colored geometric designs. Other Art Deco designers produced enamel cases with bold, graphic imagery. Cigarette boxes first appeared with polished panels of sterling silver, with stepped covers that recalled the shapes of Mayan temples.

From the 1930s through the 1950s, cigarette cases were at their peak, as was the pastime of smoking cigarettes. Art Deco engravings, delicate fillagree, and cabochon or rhinestone designs often covered the casings.

Because people believed that gold was opulent enough to be unadorned, cases made of gold  often had engravings, while those made of silver were often decorated with enamels and rhinestones.

Bakelite became a common material for cigarette cases in the 1940s. While the typical case was a slim tin for carrying, others were designed as boxes for home use. Luxury French  retailers such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels offered their own cases covered in diamonds and other gemstones. 

Also, cigarette makers, such as Camel, Chesterfield, Players, Lucky Strikes, produced their own cases, nicknamed “flat fifties” due to their ability to contain 50 cigarettes. By the 1970s, decorative cigarette cases had declined in favor, replaced by snap-top pouches made of vinyl or nylon.

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