Treasured Valley

-by Amy Pence-Brown.

The poor cigarette has gotten a bad rap lately, with the Americans getting all environmentally conscious and uber-health driven.  Many of our old favorite divey bars have gone smoke free, and entire cities are following suit.  That hasn’t always been the case, however.  Popular culture reminds us of the “good old days” when smoking was a way of life, like in the acclaimed AMC series Mad Men, whose sets are continually fogged by Lucky Strikes. Maybe it’s this nostalgia for the once accepted vice that drew me to the collection that graces the walls of the Old Pioneer Tent & Awning building, or maybe it’s just my love of quirky displays.  Probably both.

The Old Pioneer Tent & Awning building (PDF)  is part of the Old Boise Historic District and graces the corner of 6^th and Main Streets downtown Boise.  If you’ve driven past, you can’t miss this big white horse perched on the rooftop.  Likely many of you have been inside, as the place hosts yummy eateries like Jenny’s Lunch Line and Chronic Tacos.  It also boasts interesting events, like Santa at the holidays and the N’Scale Model Railroaders often set up their miniature world and run their trains much to the delight of children and adults alike.  I also really shopping the Idaho Indie Works Etsy Street Team artisans on First Thursdays.

The building itself was constructed in 1910 and the company, as you may have guessed by its name, housed the manufacturer of canvas wagon covers, tents, awnings, automobile tops and some leather goods.  One floor was devoted to production and seamstresses and the other to offices and a display showroom.  The place operated as such until around 1972, when it was purchased by the current owners, the Carleys.  At that time it was turned into a mini mall type atmosphere housing numerous tenants and has continued as such ever since.  The owners have taken great care to preserve the historical nature of the original building, as well as others within the Old Boise Historic District.

Like many historic structures, the Old Pioneer Tent & Awning building has many stories embedded in its old walls.  And, in this case, hung on them.  A curious display of hundreds and hundreds of packs of vintage cigarettes graces the walls of the first floor of the building.  There is little signage or information to help one decipher the artwork, but I found myself draws to these little packages of the past.  The cigarettes have been collected from around the world by Boisean Chas Allen, a relative of the Carleys, and have been hanging in the building for at least 25 years.  Mr. Allen collected cigarettes for a large part of the 20^th century, and many of the packs appear to be quite antique.  And their names are just plain fabulous – some of my favorites include Black Death, Buz, Go to Hell, and, of course, Horse Shit Cigarettes, manufactured in Shitville City.  (I know, I know, it’s a dirty habit, but at least someone’s got an equally dirty sense of humor about it.)  Each tiny box is an artwork in and of itself; the brand marketing on each package is a history lesson in graphic design of the past.  So, next time you find yourself in that neck of the woods, pop into the Old Pioneer Tent & Awning building for a quick “smoke break.”  One puff and you’ll be hooked.

Amy Pence-Brown likes her cigarette art with the soup du jour from Jenny’s Lunch Line…