Last night, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. celebrated the release of Cigar City: The Legacy of Tampa’s Founding Industry, a fine art photography book honoring Tampa’s historic cigar tradition, with a reception and a book signing event at its historic El Reloj cigar factory. This 201-page hardcover book features 189 photographs by Zack Wittman of the 25 cigar factory buildings in Tampa. The book also includes text by Drew Newman on the evolution of Tampa’s cigar industry.
“A century ago, Tampa had more than 200 cigar factories that hand rolled an astonishing 500 million cigars per year,” said fourth-generation owner Drew Newman. “Cigars built the City of Tampa, fueled its economy, and made it world famous as ‘Cigar City.’ This beautiful book showcases the 25 cigar factories still standing in Tampa.”
The book was inspired by a 2023 article in the Tampa Bay Times profiling the 25 cigar factory buildings in Tampa. J.C. Newman published it in celebration of the 140th Anniversary of Tampa’s Ybor City historic cigar district, which was founded in 1886. The book has a suggested retail price of $75 and is available online for wholesale to independent booksellers.
“Each of the 25 cigar factories featured in Cigar City stands as a monument to the people and traditions that shaped Tampa,” said Newman. “Through these powerful images, we aim to preserve and celebrate this cultural legacy for generations to come.”
