A new photography exhibit focused on the cigar industry is now open at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in Tampa’s historic Ybor City district.
The exhibit, Cigars! Photography, Industry, and Identity, features a mix of rare vintage photographs and modern images that document the history and legacy of cigar making in Tampa. Sponsored by J.C. Newman Cigar Co., the display runs through July 19 and coincides with the 140th anniversary of the first cigar rolled in Ybor City.
Historic photographs from The Burns Collection & Archive in New York highlight tobacco farming, cigar production, and cigar smoking during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These images are paired with contemporary photography from documentary photographer Zack Wittman, who photographed the 25 cigar factory buildings still standing in Tampa.
The exhibit also reflects the work behind two recent books tied to the project. The Burns Collection published Cigars: From Seed to Smoke, A Photographic History, which includes 250 vintage photographs from the early cigar industry, while J.C. Newman and Wittman released Cigar City: A Legacy of Tampa’s Founding Industry last year.
According to the museum, the exhibit is intended to highlight Ybor City’s role as a major center of cigar production and the immigrant communities that helped shape the district’s identity.
“Cigars! honors Ybor City’s enduring legacy as the cigar capital of the world through the powerful lens of photography, bridging the golden age of cigar making with its vibrant present while celebrating the deep roots that shaped the city’s cultural and economic foundation.”
As part of the exhibit, J.C. Newman historian Holden Rasmussen will give a presentation on May 21 at 5:30 p.m. covering the history and evolution of Tampa’s cigar industry.
The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts is located in Ybor City, and the exhibit remains open to the public through July 19.
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