Cigar Box Label, Havana Rope, El Morro Castle Havana Harbor, Outer Label, Embossed & Gilded Lithograph, NOS, Made in USA, Antique, 1920s

Gold leaf. Embossing. A two-color lithograph. And it was designed to go on the outside of a cigar box.

This is an original Havana Rope outer cigar box label — an antique chromolithograph from circa 1920, produced for Alfonso Rios & Company, importers of Havana cigars based on North Wells Street in Chicago. The subject is El Morro Castle and the Havana harbor at the turn of the century — rendered in meticulous detail in just two colors plus gilding. The restraint of the color palette was deliberate: printing was extraordinarily expensive, and every additional color added cost. What the lithographer achieved here in two colors is remarkable — the harbor scene has genuine atmospheric depth, and the gilded embossing gives it a dimensional richness that photographs cannot fully capture.

New Old Stock, never used, in near-mint condition. Age-appropriate yellowing on the reverse only — the face is vivid and pristine. Four available — acquired from a longtime label dealer on the West Coast.

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, a cigar aficionado, or anyone who appreciates the golden age of American commercial lithography.

El Morro Castle — Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro — was designed by Italian engineer Battista Antonelli and construction began 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 cigar importer 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.

• Brand: Havana Rope Cigars / Alfonso Rios & Co., Chicago
• Type: Cigar box outer label
• Made in: USA
• Dated: circa 1920s
• Dimensions: 10.0" long | 6.5" wide
• Material: Paper, lithograph, two-color plus gilding and embossing
• Condition: New Old Stock (NOS) — unused, near-mint condition. Age-appropriate yellowing on the reverse only — the face is vivid and pristine. Please review all photos carefully — we cannot accept returns.
• Framing: Fits a standard 11x7 or 10x8 frame — ready to display