Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Cigarette card of mystery

I came across this card by chance. The image baffled me; I don’t think I’d have figured it out without the explanation on the back. How about you? Click for a larger view if you think it might help. Leave a guess as a comment if you’d like. All shall be revealed tomorrow morning.

A related post
Invisible-ink cigarette card

comments: 5

Pete said...

The subject is lighting a cigarette on one of those old wall-mounted gas lamps. Our apartment in Chicago was built in the 1890s and still had some of those gas fittings (long sealed) on the walls. I just assumed they were also safely sealed off at the source, but never knew for sure.

Anonymous said...

While searching his desk for a cigarette, this Galaher fellow came across a pencil extender. Unsure whether it was Eberhard Faber or A.W. Faber make, he examines the stamping on the barrel by gaslight.

I mean, what else could it be? :)

Michael Leddy said...

Pete, you have me wondering if I’ve ever seen those fittings. I will have to look the next time I’m in a really old building.

Sean, I know what you mean. Despite my love of fountain pens, I would never have guessed what’s going on.

Elaine Fine said...

It's a portable genie in a tube, good for one wish or two wishes, depending on how you alter its shape. Wisdom has it that the gas lamp flame is more successful method, but nobody has truly succeeded yet. The above image is the near achievement of the number one shape. A moment of suspense. Will the genie appear now, or will we need to wait until the tube becomes oval? Is this our moment of luck, or will we need to buy another package of cigarettes with a tube fastened to it, and try again.

Pete said...

Ah, I see I was totally wrong! The fittings in our apartment were roughly at eye level. Happy hunting.