Tobacco companies began a campaign to manipulate throat doctors into helping calm the public’s growing fears that smoking might be bad for their health in the 1920s. The practice of using doctors to peddle tobacco products continued for 50 years, despite overwhelming scientific evidence pointing to the hazards of smoking.
Through his studies on the intricate relationship between doctors and cigarette companies, Robert Jackler, MD, professor and chair of otolaryngology, and his wife, Laurie, have amassed a collection of more than 10,000 original tobacco ads, which were featured in an exhibit at the New York Public Library.
Doctors weren’t the only ones proclaiming the merits of various cigarette brands. A number of Christmas-themed ads, such as the above image, feature Santa. You can read more about Jackler’s work and collection in this archived Stanford Medicine article.