Historical information

At the turn of the 20th century cigarette smoking was widely adopted, and elegant smoking accessories became a necessity and items such as this desk dispenser became a popular trend for fashionable men and women.

Significance

Evidence of trends in the early 1900s.

Physical description

Rectangle metal cigarette dispenser mounted offset on a dark green painted timber base. The tin slides up on an inlay wall rail allowing the tin to slide up and down but not come of the wall. Tin lid is removable to allow the container to be filled The inside internal walls of the tin are angled so that when the tin is lifted it pushes a cigarette into the inset holder to dispense a cigarette. Bottom of the base is lined with green felt.

Inscriptions & markings

On the top of the lid: 'Cigarettes' in script font.