Back in the 1900s, cigarette manufactures used to insert stiffening cards into their paper cigarette packs to add strength and help them last longer. Along the way, someone had the bright idea of printing trivia, artwork and even famous people and athletes (Honus Wagner anyone?) onto the stiffening cards.
In the early 20th Century, Gallaher’s Cigarettes printed a special series of 100 “How to do it” cards that included some truly useful and helpful tips for everyday situations and problems. The entire 100 card collection is part of the New York Public Library’s George Arents Collection and was recently digitized.
Below you will find 40 of the Sifter’s personal favorites. Visit the NYPL Digital Collections to see them all.
#40. How to extract a Splinter.
#39. How to light a match in the wind
#38. How to tell the points of the compass with a watch
#37. How to treat Sprains
#36. How to make a Fire Extinguisher
#35. How to carry a heavy jug
#34. A hint when boiling potatoes
#33. How to kill a tree stump
#32. How to make corks fit
#31. How to pull out long nails
#30. How to measure with coins
#29. How to detect escaping gas
#28. How to cool wine without ice
#27. When boiling cracked eggs
#26. How to preserve valuable vases
#25. How to remove sea stains from brown shoes
#24. How to make a simple gate latch
#23. How to clean oil painting
#22. How to test butter
#21. How to draw a circle without compass
#20. How to clean real lace
#18. How to judge freshness of a lobster
#17. How to make water fountain for chicks
#16. How to treat squeaky boots
#15. How to adjust a door
#14. How to cut new bread into slices
#13. How to remove glass stopper from bottle
#12. How to detect dampness in beds
#11. How to draw ellipse with string
#10. How to pick up broken glass
#09. How to stop a runaway horse
#08. How to clean new boots
#07. How to remove a tight ring from the finger
#06. How to keep a paint brush handle clean
#05. How to take ink stains out of a handkerchief
#04. To fit a large candle
#03. How to clean bottles
#02. Three useful knots
#01. How to separate glass tumblers
