Larry McIntyre, The Smoker, c1937

Larry McIntyre was a smoker and a comedian.  He said he started smoking when he was 12 years old and selling newspapers on the west side of Chicago.  He smoked Camel cigarettes, nearly two packs a day.  When he was about 80 years old he stopped smoking cold turkey!  He was having some trouble breathing after he walked and had been diagnosed with COPD.  I remember asking him how he could just stop smoking after all of those years and he said "The doctor said I shouldn't smoke anymore, so I just didn't buy anymore cigarettes!"

I remember as a young girl, the "special" gift for Dad on Father's Day was always a carton of Camels.  Amazing.  Photo c1937