Hans Sollfrank 1908

Fritz Rehm created this advertisement for Hans Sollfrank tobacconists, likely in the early 20th century. The image presents two men in a private salon. One reclines in a modernist chair, confidently smoking a cigar. The other, perhaps a servant, offers a light. Below the image, bold lettering advertises cigars, cigarettes, and tobacco, as well as the information that Sollfrank is “Purveyor to the Royal Court of Bavaria.” This image promotes Sollfrank by associating the brand with wealth, luxury, and royal authority. The modern style of the chair and the confident pose of the cigar smoker suggest that Sollfrank is a modern brand, yet the reference to the Bavarian Royal court connects it to traditional institutions of power. Understanding this artwork requires us to research both the history of tobacco advertising and the history of the Bavarian Royal Court. Only then can we appreciate how it participates in social, cultural, and institutional histories.