Henry George Cigars

Behind Mom’s Cafe #2. Salina, Utah, 2013

I found this old and decaying wall advert behind Mom’s Café in Salina, Utah. A building had been torn down, revealing this mural that was probably painted a hundred or so years ago. A quick Google search on the net revealed some interesting facts…

–These ads are also called “fading ads”, “brickads”, or “ghost signs” (the latter, as many of them fade away into history).

–Those who painted these ads were called “wall dogs” probably due to the hard work and lack of safety rules involved. Some were fine art painters, others house painters. Some even signed their work.

–Sponsors of these ads were either the compnay itself (like CocaCola, or Lee Jeans) or the building owner him/herself (like A. J. Grossman Mercantile or Meridian Hotel).

–They can date from the 1890s through the 1950s, but most were put up in the 1910s into the 1930s.

–The paint more than likely contains lead. That’s why it lasts so long.

–There is a movement throughout the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Europe to preserve these historical commentaries.

–In Spokane, Washington, there was some initial debate about whether their Henry George cigar sign ran afoul of the regulations on outdoor cigarette advertising. Luckily, the preservationists won this one.

–Henry George cigars were decent quality, cheap (5 cents!), and popular with the working man.

—Henry George was a noted writer, economist, and politician of the late 1800s–only slightly less well-known than Thomas Edison, Mark Twain and Teddy Roosevelt–thus his countenance was used to market this “cigar for men”.

–The sign pictured above, from Salina, Utah, is interesting for a couple of reasons: 1) It takes some work to decipher the entire wording (“It speaks for itself. Henry George. A Great 5¢ Cigar”), and 2) the demolition of a building has revealed some of the paint in its near original condition. I don’t know what plans the town of Salina might have for this sign, but it would be nice to try to preserve it–although that may be difficult due to its location within a surrounded building lot.

Want more info? Dr. Ken Jones seems to be an expert on ghost signs, but I can no longer access his website. For a good blog site dedicated to ghost signs, try Tobaccoania.