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Friday 3 May 2013

Smoke Signals - Sepia Saturday

Our house has always been a no smoking venue so I have never used a cigarette vending machine resembling the one in this week's photo:


When I was a boy (11 years old) one of my mates had access to free cigarettes (his father ran the local pub). Those were the days of Gold Flake, Park Drive and Woodbine cigarettes.. I soon gave up having a secret drag. I suppose you could say I was a good boy for that. 

As I have no photos of people smoking, it was quite a coincidence to find another 'good boy' that fits the smoking theme.

Chief Good Boy - 1914
The Chief is smoking a long-stemmed pipe in Fairfax Oklahoma. He looks at peace with the world.

In the days when the cinema was an attraction visited regularly and smoking was allowed inside there was at least some respite if you got a no smoking seat. Ideally though people smoked outside before they went in just like these young Swedish men.

Outside Eskilstuna Grand Cinema - 1958
(By Lars iLoni Olsson - CC BY-SA 3.0)

Woodbine cigarettes were made by a company called H O Wills and you once could have bought some from a machine like this.

Wills's Woodbine Vending Machine
in Staffordshire County Museum (by Andy Mabbett - CC By-SA 3.0)

These days it's a common to see people standing smoking outside shops and offices as they are no longer permitted to smoke inside. As you approach modern smoke signals are plain to see.

I guess that is the signal for me to send you off to see what other smoking gems you can find at 

19 comments:

Postcardy said...

Minnesota was one of the first places to have a Clean Indoor Air Act. Indoors makes sense, but now smoking is being banned even in outdoor places.

North County Film Club said...

Was his name really Good Boy? That's just too odd.
I remember Woodbine cigarettes being mentioned in "Angela's Ashes". Must have been the most popular and cheapest cigarettes. I don't think we ever had them in the states.
Nancy

tony said...

In Hebden Bridge they have Jazz Woodbines !:)

Helen Killeen Bauch McHargue said...

A peace pipe! A good reason for smoking. They need some of these in North Korea.

Mike Brubaker said...

I think photographs can be dated by the number and type of smokers.
When I lived in London in the 80s, smoking was normal everywhere and most notable on the underground. A few years later when I returned after the public smoking ban, the reduction in litter was very impressive. Today those special smoking spots are easy to spot from the piles of tobacco debris.

Unknown said...

Love that photo of Good Boy. Congrats you are another one of me, the No Smoking Homes keep best. Ditto on Nancy's comment about Angela's Ashes. I recalled that too, read that book so long ago.

Brett Payne said...

My Dad used to smoke Gold Flake cigarettes, I think having converted to them from the filter-less Gold Leaf.

Kristin said...

I went with my daughter to look at an apartment today. When we came out we could smell cigarette smoke. There were porches and outside stairs down several flights. As we went down we could see a man in a purple robe standing outside on his porch smoking.

Wendy said...

It's interesting to me how Chief Good Boy seems so relaxed smoking while the boys outside the theater seem a bit nervous or anxious.

Jo said...

I remember Woodbines, but I smoked Players myself until I moved to Canada. I eventually quit, but not til about 16 years ago. Ontario went no smoking long before the UK or the States, or Portugal come to that. We found it very difficult to go into smoke laden cafes, bars, lounges, what have you for a number of years after the ban here.

JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

anyjazz said...

An interesting look into smoking. The photograph of the three young men is an excellent find.

21 Wits said...

Good for you Bob, I grew up with smoking parents, and the worse part of it was riding in the car with the windows up! Yikes. I don't know this brand, but have seen it this week! My favorite are the three young smokers being cool!

Anonymous said...

Our city like to brag about its live music venues and there was quite a fuss when the no smoking ban was passed - how it would ruin all the clubs and music venues. They seem to have survived!

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

I never smoked, but I think about how societies are manipulated with advertisements, to day it is good tomorrow it is bad. It's like when they advertise sugar free, but loaded with aspartame which is so much worse.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy said...

What a fine selection of smoking pictures, Bob. I never smoked either. That man in 5th grade who had his voice box removed due to cancer and had to burp to talk convinced me!

Kathy M.

Sharon said...

How I would love to have one of those cigarette vending machines in my collection now!

Tattered and Lost said...

I think California was ahead of the curve in regards to non-smoking areas. I can recall being stunned less than 12 years ago going into restaurants in Washington state and being told there were no non-smoking areas. These days I rarely see anyone smoking. And rarely do I see old butts on sidewalks or in the streets.

Bruno Laliberté said...

I'm one of those who has to drag his ass outside to have a smoke, but I do understand the principle and have no argument about it. But when someone on the sidewalk pinches her [usually women do that] nose while passing me, I just glare at her and blow smoke in her direction. Come on, we're in open air, no deadly concentration there!! Especially where I work, there' always a stiff breeze. People are just nuts!!! And me, I'm nuts for still smoking, I know...
:D~
HUGZ

Lovely's Blot said...

It's funny how things have changed so quickly. I remember sitting in meetings where everyone smoked, smoky bars and pubs, smoking on the bus... If I went out for the evening my clothes always smelled of smoke..