Box Label, Havana Rope, El Morro Castle Havana Harbor, Antique 1920s, Outer Label, NOS, Ephemera

Gold leaf. Embossing. A two-color lithograph — restraint that was deliberate, since printing was extraordinarily expensive and every additional color added cost.

• Brand: Havana Rope / Alfonso Rios & Co., Chicago
• Materials: Paper, lithograph, two-color plus gilding and embossing
• Origin: USA
• Era: Antique, circa 1920s
• Dimensions: 10.0" long | 6.5" wide
• Quantity: 4 available
• Condition: New Old Stock (NOS), unused, near-mint condition. Age-appropriate yellowing on the reverse only — the face is vivid and pristine. Please review photos closely before purchasing, as all sales are final.

Frame it for a study, a bar, a library, a coastal or tropical-themed room, or anywhere Cuban history and commercial art are equally welcome. At 10.0 by 6.5 inches it fits a standard 11x7 or 10x8 frame beautifully. A wonderful gift for a tobacciana collector, a Cuban history enthusiast, or anyone who appreciates the golden age of American commercial lithography.

This original Havana Rope outer box label depicts El Morro Castle and the Havana harbor at the turn of the century, rendered in meticulous detail in just two colors plus gilding — the harbor scene has genuine atmospheric depth, and the gilded embossing gives it a dimensional richness that photographs cannot fully capture. El Morro Castle — Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro — was designed by Italian engineer Battista Antonelli, with construction beginning in 1589 at the entrance to Havana Bay to defend the city against pirates and hostile forces. Completed in 1630, it stands today as part of a UNESCO World Heritage historical park and one of Cuba's most iconic landmarks. Alfonso Rios & Co. was a Havana import business based in Chicago in the 1920s–1930s; a trademark registration from Edward G. Davis dba Alfonso Rios & Co. dates to February 24, 1932. Very little else is known — which makes every surviving piece of their ephemera that much more rare.

Acquired from a longtime label dealer on the West Coast. Browse our shop for more antique box labels and ephemera to round out your collection.