Object Record
Images
Metadata
Collection |
Waterloo Region Museum |
Object ID |
2013.041.009 |
Object Name |
Box, Cigar |
Description |
Wooden cigar box with a hinged lid. Stamped on the exterior of the lid is a decorative oval with "Red Seal" in the centre. There is a paper band that wraps around the entire right side of the box. Printed on the band is "Canada/Twenty Five/Cigars" and the number "7990-8" in green. There is a paper label that covers the left side of the box. It is the same label as on the interior of the lid. All of the edges of the box are covered in white paper. "M'f'd. by C. Blankstein, Kitchener, Ont" is stamped on the front edge of the box. Stamped on the bottom of the box is "25/Cigars/Factory N 10 Port 22E/The manufacturers of the Cigars herein.". There is a paper label on the interior of the lid. It has a white background with a graphic of a red seal on a blue ribbon in the centre. Printed in gold lettering in the centre of the seal is "Red Seal". Printed along the upper edge is "Manufactured By/Charles Blankstein" and along the lower edge is "Berlin, Ont.". There is a length of string stapled between the left side of the lid and the body on the interior. The interior edges are covered with a white and brown paper. |
Date |
1920 |
Date |
1930 |
Dimensions |
H-3.7 W-14.5 L-21 cm |
History |
Charles Blankstein manufactured cigars in Berlin/Kitchener, ON between 1899 and 1942. The box dates to the 1920s, past the Berlin name change. It is possible that the manufacturer continued to use old labels marked "Berlin". Beginning in 1868, the cigar box was a taxable unit in Canada. By 1883, the government legislated that cigars must be packaged for sale in wooden boxes holding 10, 25, 100 or 200 cigars. The cigars were sold individually out of their open boxes in retail stores. The colourful labels on the inner lid acted as miniature billboards. Also beginning in July of 1883, licence codes were used by cigar manufacturers to cancel their excise duty stamps and to mark their packages. |
People |
Blankstein, Charles |