Description
This WWII Mecca Cigarette Carton is a reproduction from an original Mecca Carton in our collection. The Mecca Carton is empty and contains no tobacco products.
We believe this carton dates somewhere between 1935-1945. (Pre-ww1 cartons were boxes with paper wrappings. Between WWI and the early 30s, cigarettes typically had a top and bottom box.) We’ve seen several WWII era Mecca packs dated as late as 1947.
Mecca cigarettes were a part of the early 1900s Turkish Tobacco fad. Originally in a hard box, Mecca Cigarettes were introduced in more modern packs around 1915. Mecca cigarettes are best known for their tobacco cards. Mecca cigarettes and other WWI-era Turkish cigarettes regained popularity during WWII, not necessarily because of their taste but because everything else was always sold out.
Interestingly, Mecca cigarettes were manufactured by the American Tobacco Company, the same company that produced Lucky Strike.
