Tobacconists In Art

300 American Tobacconists M-Z (1980)

   

Dick Jewell

Copyright: Dick Jewell

Courtesy of the artist and Rachmaninoff’s, London

   

Dick Jewell is a British artist living and working in London. The images in this very unique piece came from a discarded filing cabinet drawer he found laying on the pavement in New York City during the late 1970s. Intrigued by the range of quality and type of images (from photo booth miniatures to studio photos), Mr. Jewell created this extraordinary piece which reflects Tobacconists’ ‘individuality and cohesion as a group of specialists’.

   

Well, many thanks to Mr. Jewell for recognizing our humble profession as one worthy of being represented in his art. While we know about Cigars & Art, it is refreshing to see Tobacconists in art. Let’s see if any American Tobacconists recognize themselves in these photos…

   

Ultimately, when these photos were found they were artifacts depicting a dying breed of professionals: perhaps, that is why they ended up as trash on the sidewalk. Regardless, we are now living in a new era. While hysterical anti-smoke sentiments and smokerism continues to hypnotize people around the world, the Tobacconist profession is resurging; as anybody wanting to savor their time knows the true value of luxury tobacco. Fighting back from the brink of extinction is no easy task, but I cannot imagine a group of passionate individuals more capable of meeting the challenges. As we move forward, we must remember and be thankful for all of the Tobacconists who came before us – thankful for their ‘individuality and cohesion as a group of specialists’

Art & Cigars

One of the most important things we teach consumers, Tobacconists, and society is the amazing and unparalleled nature of the premium cigar. Great works of art, crystal, furniture, and architecture are created in less time than a great cigar; and they last lifetimes! …while the destiny of a cigar, through combustion, is to return to dust. In fact, hundreds of people and thousands of years of human knowledge and experience go into every premium cigar!

Indubitably, great cigars are works of art. Great cigar makers are artists. And retail Tobacconists are the curators of these precious miracles. At TU we consider ourselves to be in the art preservation business: preserving luxury tobacco for generations to come.

Cigars = Vacation

We know that our sense of smell is most closely linked to memory and emotion. And that our sense of smell has the greatest impact on our enjoyment of luxury tobacco – try smoking with stuffed sinuses to prove it. Pleasant aromas are relaxing. In fact, pleasant aromas have the power to transport us to a better ‘place’, a better feeling. Whether we are talking about the smell of grandma’s cookies, the ocean, or a great cigar, pleasant aromas force us to take notice and enjoy the moment. Those who enjoy luxury tobacco know that aroma transcends our daily responsibilities, stresses, uncertainties, and challenges.

The aroma of luxury tobacco forces us to settle down and appreciate the moment; the little things. Great tobacco is a compelling delicacy which helps us appreciate our time. What could be more important than savoring your time? Great cigars are like a mini-vacation! Use them as intended and you will enhance your quality of life.

  

* Tobacconist Anecdote: Lately, I have been seeing many more of our retail customers stopping to have a cigar in the shop. Customers who would normally walk out after their purchase look at the couch like a starving man looks at a steak. Once they realize the couches are there for them, they walk over and plop themselves down, immediately letting out a deep exhale. At first they have a glassy look in their eyes, then they remember they have a cigar in their hand and they start to look at it, touch it, and finally light it. After just a few puffs their demeanor begins to change. They watch the smoke waft delicately into the air and their gaze begins to relax. Within a few minutes they start letting go… their body and mind releasing tension. Eventually, our customers leave the shops happier, brighter, and lighter than when they entered. It is an extraordinary transformation. Every Tobacconist has seen this happen, and I think this is happening a lot more lately. But this is just proof that Tough Times = Better Business. People need great Tobacconists more now, than ever…. so get to work.

A Bunch of Leaves II

  

One of the most important things we teach Tobacconists [getting Certified] is the amazing and unparalleled nature of the premium cigar. Great works of art, crystal, furniture, and architecture are created in less time than a great cigar; and they last lifetimes! …While the destiny of a cigar, through combustion, is to return to dust. Cigar lovers and Tobacconists can appreciate the value of a cigar because there is no other product like it on earth!

 
But few of us have had the opportunity to see cigars and tobacco as HIGH ART (in a way that transcends their use). Many of us have seen extraordinary cigars that seem like sculptures (i.e. bats, pipes, multi-colored figurados), but few of us have actually seen cigar tobacco sculptures. This amazing work of art (and others) were created by Janio Nunez Leal, an artist I had the privilege of meeting in the late ’90s. He sculpts with tobacco and uses only a light infrastructure which he covers with cigar leaf; using hybridized bunching and wrapping techniques he learned as a cigar roller in Cuba.
   
(I must divulge that I have a company called ArtistaCuba which collects and imports (when legal) Cuban art. I met Janio in Havana many years ago and have never gotten over his amazing creations. He was a cigar roller turned master sculptor and I am sure he has never received the acclaim and success he deserved. To my knowledge, no one on the planet has ever accomplished what he has.)
   
Top Picture: Janio Nunez Leal, Alejandro Robaina, and lifesize tobacco sculpture of Winston Churchill, circa 1999.

Jorge Armenteros, CMT