Superb Quality Vintage (Art Deco) Collector’s English Richmond Engine Turned Polished Chrome Slim Cigarette Case (5.5/14cm x 3.25”/8.5cm, 114g).

A lovely hardwearing no nonsense everyday use cigarettes case. Very robust and sturdy. Lovely weight and feel. Needs to be seen and handled to be fully appreciated. The opening and closing mechanism works perfectly and opens and shuts with a lovely spring and snap.

This is a vintage item made by the Richmond Cigarettes Ltd. It is not new and there are some minor signs of use but in very good order. If you are looking for a good quality really hardwearing and robust cigarette case then you will be hard pressed to find many better than this. In fact there are not too many Richmond cigarette cases from that period in existence in reasonable condition. They are sought after collector’s items.

Please browse all 12 sets of photographs attached for size, weight and condition as they are self explanatory. I am not a smoker myself but would imagine this case would comfortably hold king size cigarettes.

ABOUT CIGARETTE BOXES AND CASES

The use of cigars in the UK really only came into vogue in the early part of the 19th century and cigar boxes from this period are rare. The use of tobacco in cigarette form became increasingly popular during and after the Crimean War in the 1850s. The vast majority of cigar and cigarette boxes and cases seen today are less than a 120 years. If you have one that is older, its a real find – hang on to it!

Cigarette smoking became extremely popular and even “chic" after World War I even though there were already health warnings about the effects of smoking – extensive advertising by manufacturers played a part in romanticising cigarettes, helped along by the emerging film industry and the glamour of hollywood. At this time, many cigarette cases for personal use were made, as a style-statement they often ornate and highly decorated and silver was one of the most common materials they used. And the more affluent had cigarette boxes at home for display on a coffee or side table; they also made popular anniversary or presentation gifts. A cigarette box or case kept the fragile tubes of tobacco from being crushed and helped in a small part to keep them 'fresh'.

By the early 1960s the anti-smoking lobby was already in full swing and this undoubtedly contributed to the decline in popularity of these boxes. In the US, the Surgeon General's Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health had been formed, it concluded that "cigarette smoking is causally related to lung cancer in men."

Many of these boxes seen today are in poor condition because they "were seen as utilitarian pieces designed to be used on a day-to-day basis". This particular cigarette case is in lovely condition compared to many from the same period.

HARMAN BROTHERS

Harman Brothers Ltd (previously of Great King Street, Birmingham), UK are listed as making many small 'articles made of or coated with silver' including cigar and cigarette boxes. Established in c.1918, the firm was acquired by Kenneth West in c.1965 and appear to have possibly continued trading until c.1997. It is unclear whether this company is still operating.

*Their brand names included 'ARISTOCRAT', 'HAR-BRO', 'RICHMOND', 'PANDORA', and 'LEATHERLITE'. So, although manufacturers did continue to use old marks even after a firm was bought out, any vintage cigarette box stamped with the Aristocrat and HB lozenge possibly predates the mid 1960s.