Chesterfield (cigarette)

Chesterfield is a brand of cigarette made by Altria. It was one of the most recognized brands of the early 20th century, but sales have declined steadily over the years. It was named for Chesterfield County, Virginia. Chesterfield is still being made today; it is still popular in Europe, but has been absent from U.S. advertising for many years. For many years Chesterfield cigarettes were produced by the Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company. In 1999, Liggett sold the L&M, Lark and Chesterfield brands to Philip Morris Companies Inc., now known as the Altria Group.

Chesterfield was the subject of a song recorded by Piedmont blues musician Buddy Moss, with the focus being on their current rarity and superiority over other brands.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Chesterfield sponsored a popular radio program, the Chesterfield Hour, which featured big bands such as those of Paul Whiteman, Glenn Miller and Harry James.^[1].

Liggett & Myers, makers of Chesterfield, sponsored Dragnet, both on radio and on TV. The manufacturer originally advertised Fatima Cigarettes before switching to Chesterfields.

In the 1940s and 1950s Jack Webb, Ronald Reagan and Bob Hope were among Chesterfield's official spokesmen.

In the novel Goldfinger by Ian Fleming, James Bond felt Chesterfields were the only decent brand of American cigarettes.

Only two varieties of Chesterfield are available in the United States:

• Chesterfield Red Pack (Filter): Kings - Box
• Chesterfield Non-Filter: Kings - Soft

In South Africa, there are three varieties available (all sold in flip-top boxes of either 20 or 30 cigarettes per box):

• Chesterfield Classic Red
• Chesterfield Classic Blue
• Chesterfield Green (Menthol)

Non-filter is not available in South Africa.

References

1. ^ "Music: New King". TIME. November 27, 1939. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,762896,00.html. Retrieved July 22, 2011.