Lucky Strike Advertisement, 1945
Collections in the Classroom
Grade Level
Elementary, High, Middle
Time Period
1900-1950: Early 20th Century
Theme
Economics
Resource Type
Post-visit material, Pre-visit material, Primary Source
Download Collections in the Classroom: Lucky Strike Advertisement (pdf)
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
- How did tobacco influence Richmond’s development?
- How do advertisements persuade people?
- Why do you think this work is often referred to as the “Tobacco Genie”? How would that influence people to buy Lucky Strike?
CONTEXT
In the 1940s, the Lucky Strike cigarette factory on Richmond’s Tobacco Row had the capacity to make 100 million cigarettes per day. In 1945, the American Tobacco Company commissioned this painting for a Lucky Strike advertising campaign. Officially untitled, the work has been called the “Tobacco Genie,” highlighting the idea of small tobacco farmers as the force behind Lucky Strike’s internationally known cigarettes.
