I work on Larkin Street in what is affectionately known as the TenderNob. Nestled at the base of oh so genteel Nob Hill, I must pass through slightly less refined bits of the Tenderloin to reach my office. Of all the colorful sights on Larkin Street – and there are many – this ghost sign for a long forgotten cigarette brand is my favorite.

ZUBELDA CIGARETTES THE DOUBLE PACKAGE – Larkin and Geary – building built in 1909. Hotel Toronto – formerly Leiah Hotel, Wesley Hotel, and Hotel California.

From a 1912 print ad
“‘You can’t describe her, sighs the Khedive, because there was never anything like her. She’s a poem, a little mountain brook, a rose garden, a —-.’ The P. Lorillard Company named their new Turkish blend cigarette Zubelda, in honor of the Khedive of Egypt’s wife. Lorillard felt that their Zubelda was just like the lady, and claimed ‘They taste like shooting stars. And their fragrance is like the Garden of Eden. They’re as gracious and welcome as a long-absent sweetheart.’”

Zubelda cigarettes, produced by Lorillard Tobacco Company, debuted in October 1912 which would place this sign from around that period.