Around the early twentieth century, cards were included in cigarette packs as a premium for the buyer. Something like collectible phone cards, or the inclusion of baseball cards with packs of gum. Since smokers were primarily male, the most common subjects were depictions of glamorous and beautiful models and movie stars. So in a way these also presage pin-ups. Some cards were photos, others were detailed drawings or colorized photos. They generally included the name of the cigarette manufacturer and the name and/or duplicated signature of the subject.

Anna May Wong was popular in European cigarette packs.

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