The cigarret smoked by His Imperial Majesty Abdul Hamid II., Sultan of Turkey. Made from absolutely pure Turkish tobacco. No opium- non narcotic.
This nineteenth century advertisement for Ateshian Turkish Cigarrets is one of the earlier ads picturing a woman smoking, though it was not exclusively targeting women as opposed to many of the the post-WWI ads of the 1920s. Still, Orientalism, exoticism and luxury are evoked in this advertisement which allegedly markets cigarettes to both “Ladies and Gentlemen.” The woman depicted in the advertisement casually smokes a cigarette while drenched in pearls and jewels, wearing harem pants and other Eastern-inspired garb. Her appearance was meant to appeal to both Western women and men who were drawn in by this woman’s life of luxury and her notable allure. With her Oriental costume, the woman is seen as less of a reflection on Victorian femininity than a fantasy of an exotic enchantress from a foreign land. The slogan reads, “pure—delicious—harmless.”
Female, Luxury, Orientalist, Relaxing, rich, woman
