Cornerspotter is a Curbed Philly feature in which we show you a historical photo taken somewhere in the city and you identify the location. Impress fellow Curbed readers with your knowledge by leaving guesses in the comments or send them to our tipline: philly@curbed.com. And hey: no cheating!.
We love this photo. There's so much about it that's evocative, starting with the sign that reads "Havana Ribbon," the name of a cigar created by the famous Bayuk brothers who became extremely successful in the tobacco industry. The three of them, Sam, Max and Meyer, created the popular "Phillies" cigar and opened the largest air conditioned cigar factory in the world—right here in Philly. Yes, you can thank these Philadelphians for corrupting the mouths and lungs of generations of smokers. And they started the whole business with only a few hundred bucks.
The other thing we like about the photo is the figure staring at the camera, the ghost of that figure to the right, and the third figure that's almost invisible. Photography was really coming into its own the year this was taken, which we'll reveal with the answer to the quiz.
Okay, Curbediverse: Where was this photo taken?
· Cornerspotter Archives [CPHI]
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