Historic “E.E.” Cigars Advertisement - San Jose, California (1880s) #194747 (License: Personal Use)

This black-and-white woodcut-style illustration from the late 1800s depicts a comically exaggerated man with wild hair, a bushy mustache, and an enormous open mouth, hoisting a large rectangular sign overhead. The sign advertises “Smoke None But Straight 5c. ‘E.E.’ Cigars” by J.A. Waters of San Jose, California, using ornate Gothic and serif typography typical of Victorian-era print ads. The image exemplifies early American commercial satire and visual merchandising techniques used to capture attention in newspapers or broadsides.

Used in historical archives, museum exhibits, or digital collections focused on 19th-century advertising, tobacco history, or California commerce; serves users researching vintage graphic design, ephemera, or local San Jose business history.