Drunk Husband

Dated "DEC 54."  He must have been a handful.

Mr. Schulmeir

Kind of like the baby pose from the last post.  Labeled, obviously, "Mr. Schulmeir."  He must have been an important person in a minor way.  He's a Mister not a Bob, Barry, or Wolfgang.  Notice that the person in the foreground seems to be laughing at what is very likely a lame joke.

Trout Fishing In America

Anyone out there remember the rather strange novel by Richard Brautigan?

Click on the image and bring it up in a larger window to see the nice fly fishing rod in our angler's left hand.  And in his right, a cigar.  I purchased this photo at an antique mall in Pasadena, California, and it makes me wonder if this is what Topanga or Malibu Canyon looked like in, let's say, 1910.  Of course, the picture could have been taken anywhere.

Gathering Fire Wood

And maybe some hunting, too.  No date on this one, but going by the truck, I'm thinking sixties or seventies.

El Kusto

A bit faded, but overall a nice photograph.  But, it wasn't the ladies in the foreground which drew me in.  It was the building.  A cigar manufacturer in Minnesota, and the very Cuban sounding name, El Kusto.  I tried one of my favorite research sites, eBay and found a number of El Kusto cigar bands for sale, all of which identified El Kusto as a fine Habana Cigar.  Anyway, I  found the name of the distribution company, which may have also been the manufacturer, in an  article from the Wednesday, April 14, 1915 edition of The Duluth Herald

NEW CIGAR ON MARKET, "EL KUSTO" BEING INTRODUCED BY RUST-PARKER COMPANY

Duluth men who have trouble in picking out the brand of cigar they want to smoke will have a new one from which they may choose in the future.  It is the El Kusto, now being introduced by the manufacturers through the Rust-Parker company.

Nate Ellis, the St. Paul representative of the makers was in Duluth today arranging of the new smoke.  Added inducements are offered by the company who will give premiums for the bands.  They will be sold in three sizes.

I'll bet the women were employees of cigar maker.