Decorate with Affordable Art

You can own a piece of history for a very affordable price. All the labels on this page are under $200; one is less than $50. As you can see, they’re quite beautiful when matted and framed. Labels exist for every interest, so you’ll be able to find ones to adorn every room in your home. These are pieces of art that will never be duplicated. 
 

These mini-masterpieces were produced using the superior stone lithography process, engraving a mirror image of the drawing on heavy limestone and using a separate stone for each color. The stone was inked and carefully measured to register marks to produce a multi-colored, right-reading image. Skilled craftsmen and great artists were needed for this process. Sadly, this art form was eventually replaced by faster, less expensive mechanical printing.

Because the lithography process utilized such heavy stones, the paper used had to be of the finest quality and very strong. That fact has probably helped these beautiful labels survive more than 100 years. Many were found in abandoned warehouses and factories or saved in someone's attic or basement. For this reason, it’s possible to find some of these works of art in mint condition. Because of the superior printing process, these labels are just as beautiful today as the day they were made! The colors are vibrant, and the embossing and gold leaf add interesting and eye-popping detail.

After the Civil War, a wave of prosperity began to grip the nation. Money was at hand to afford some of life's simpler pleasures, so demand for tobacco surged; companies engaged in its manufacture and sale enjoyed unprecedented sales and income. It was this great demand that sparked the fierce competition that produced such a vast variety of label subjects. Everything was tried to grab the consumer's attention. Some of the best artists of that time created cigar label art, including Maxfield Parrish.

Faster printing techniques such as photolithography, which became a standard in the industry by the 1920s, never matched the superb technical and artistic appearance of these old prints. Quality tends to be sacrificed when new processes save time and money.

Thanks to Jerry Jenkins for the
use of his beautiful framed art pieces.