Today, as my next guest is a bit late returning his answers I have chosen to post three cartoons by Daumier that are about tobacco smoking. The City Council of Strasbourg has decided to prohibit smoking in public parks. That reminded me of a 1843 print by Daumier about the prohibition of smoking in the Tuileries Gardens in Paris. An original is apparently at the Art Museum in Chicago but not on display. E-cigs are included in the ban. I wonder if this decision will inspire today's cartoonists.
I also found this other print about tobacco taxes: King Louis Philippe is increasing taxes on tobacco. He says: One pound of tobacco costs me 10 sous/cents... I will sell it to you for 4 Francs/Dollars..... I think this is an honest deal! it was published in the journal The Charivari in February 1835.
Here is another famous print: On the railroad, a pleasant neighbor (1862), that perfectly resumes how so many non-smokers still feel and why they so strongly support smoking bans. Making the case that the vape coming out of a vaping device is different and should be treated differently is not going to be easy. It will require a bunch of good cartoons. I have not seen any yet. Did you?
As I am revisiting the past, I'll take this opportunity to celebrate the memory of my dear friend Jean-Claude Marol who created many cartoons about tobacco, including this one that is unfortunately still so relevant
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