Prior to World War I smoking was primarily a man's world, but it wasn't very long before the ladies joined the men and manufacturers began to design their products to appeal to the female as well.

The cigarette case evolved from the cigar case and in the 1930s cases appeared in silver, plated silver and metals enameled to appeal to the ladies. Two tone cases appeared in black and white and some made of rolled gold-plate with enameled panel designs.

Producers manufactured new long shapes, some measuring more than six inches in length to hold 20 cigarettes in a single row, while smaller versions were made for the ladies to hold 10 cigarettes on each side.

Chromium finished cases with Art Deco designs were popular in the 1930s, some appearing in a color combination of tortoise and black. Oblong and square cases were a matter of personal preference. There were envelope style cases too with foldover tops that snapped shut.

By the end of the thirties a wide variety of combination compacts and cigarette cases were being produced for the ladies. Some were made of cloisonne and others of gold plate. Most of them held 10 cigarettes, loose powder and a mirror.

Cases with engine-turned designs and golden, bronze finishes were popular in 1940. For the male there were cases covered in steer hide that had a special appeal to masculinity. At about the same time the pop-up case was being advertised. One simply slid back a narrow top and a cigarette popped up, activated by a spring for easy extraction.

There were some cases with a simulated wood grain effect and there was the Flippy case of lucite whose cover showed a scantily clad female. When the case was opened she did a strip tease.

After the initial popularity of the black and white cases declined many colors appeared on cigarette case covers. These included pink and green, emerald, ruby, amber, sapphire, cream and blue, cream and brown and many others.

There were also the combination cases and lighters. Many of these came as boxed sets and favorite gifts for special occasions.

Most interesting for collectors are the novelty lighters. There were lighters in the form of airplanes, caddies (complete with golf bag), knights in armor, trained seals balancing balls that contained wheel lighters and many more.

A popular lighter of the 1940s was a musical marine lighter in the shape of a ship's helm. It contained a Swiss musical movement in the base, which was activated when the lighter was lifted. The movement played assorted tunes. When the wheel was given a partial turn, the cap of the lighter was released and wick ignited.

In the early 1930s an electric Smoker-ette that dispensed lighted cigarettes was designed. It featured a lever that was drawn forward, held for a few seconds, and released to eject the cigarette.

There were numerous musical cigarette boxes, among them a walnut container that held 47 cigarettes and had a miniature music box in the base. The box began playing when the lid was raised.

Ashtrays were produced in many shapes and sizes. Decorative animal ornaments were favorites and ranged from dogs to elephants.

There were combination pipe racks and clock sets with the clock in the shape of a ship's wheel and anchors serving as the pipe rests and swan sets with pipe rests in the bronze swans.

Novelty pipe shapes predominated in the early 1940s. There were pipes shaped as revolvers; those with bowls in the form of a skull and folding pipes that required a minimum of pocket space.

For those collectors who lived through the Depressions years of the thirties they will remember the cigarette making machines that enabled one to buy bulk tobacco and papers and roll his own.

Tobacco tins are also popular with collectors. The tobacco tin-lunch box was made as early as 1855, but continued to be made until 1943. They came complete with a wire handle.

Tobacco tins were made through the years in a large variety of shapes and sizes, both for store counter use and as pocket tins. Some resembled milk cans, canisters and milk pails.

Many readers will remember the names of many of the most popular brands of tobacco that came in tins, among them Half and Half, Prince Albert, Old Colony, Kentucky Club, Velvet, Edgeworth, Lucky Strike, Hi-Plane, Bulldog, Old Bond and Stag Some are still being produced today.

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