Name/Title
Lunch Counter with Tobacco Case, July 1928Description
Two women stand behind a glass case stocked with cigars, including Mail Pouch Tobacco, at the front of a narrow lunch counter. A long row of stools runs the length of the counter and leads back toward a bright wash of light from the rear window.
It has the feel of a small-town lunchroom, part diner and part tobacco counter. On the wall near the front is an advertisement for Charles Denby Cigars with the tagline “Better than most 10¢ cigars.” A calendar on the back wall is turned to July 1928 and reads “Mason City Bottling Company” of Mason City, Iowa.
The menu, just legible under magnification, lists “Meals – 40¢,” with additional items such as steak, pork chops, bacon sandwiches, peanut butter, and more priced around 20¢. A Falstaff display sits in the back corner, likely tied to the brand’s Prohibition-era “cereal beverage,” though the smaller text is not readable.Made/Created
Date made
Jul 1928Time Period
1920sPlace
City
Mason CityState/Province
IowaCreate Date
April 29, 2026