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.