Track cigar culture and the popularity of the cigar over the last century, and you’ll understand that we’re experiencing a kind of modern-day Enlightenment when it comes to the quality, accessibility, and technology prevalent in the cigar industry today. We’re becoming a more informed audience when it comes to what cigars to buy, where to source them, and how to take care of them.
Things are looking good for cigar enthusiasts. More companies and businesses are connecting and expanding distribution and manufacturing, more information is widely available through print and online resources, and the technology of humidors and cigar accessories continues to improve.
But to better understand how good we have it, we should know the history that’s led us to this point—specifically with humidors. As cigars became popular in the U.S. and Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries, the development of the humidor was imperative to build interest in maintaining a quality cigar collection, both at the commercial level as well as in the household.
So let’s take a look at the history of humidors, looking into the different types, when and how they were developed, and how they might have impacted the greater history of cigars.
A Brief History of Cigars
The history of cigars is complicated, extraordinary, and worth your vested time wading through resources and books like The Ultimate Cigar Book to learn more. But the modern cigar’s relationship with South America is key, starting with the Spanish explorers who visited Cuba and first introduced versions of the cigar to a European audience which, until that time, had primarily smoked tobacco through pipes. We trace the word cigar to the Spanish, cigarro, which likely has a relation to the Mayan word for smoking, sikar.
The connections are vast, transcontinental, and traverse centuries. But in a very brief overview, we can see how the humidor was a direct result of popularity, trade, and the need to preserve quality tobacco in the cigar form across various climates and humidity levels.
Cuba remained a Spanish colony throughout most of the 19th century, a time when many of the first famous Cuban cigar companies were formed, including Punch, Partagas, El Rey del Mundo, Sancho Panza, and later on, La Palina. One of these Cuban companies was H. Upmann, which was responsible for packaging cigars in boxes for the first time. As these boxes gradually became more ornate, cigar smokers would occasionally turn them into makeshift cigar storage vessels once their contents had been depleted. From that point forward, the cigar box humidor became one of the most common forms of cigar storage, and to this day it remains one of the primary options for new cigar smokers.
But let's get back to the turn of the 20th century, because by then cigars had become the most popular tobacco product in North America, with premium, hand-rolled cigars from South American being but one of several options. Domestically grown tobacco crops in places like the Connecticut River Valley had caused numerous cigar factories to pop up along the east coast. With companies like Lovely Cigars producing smokes as far north as Green Bay, midwestern remained an easily accessible, locally rolled commodity.
Prior to the 1950s, Cuban tobacco was still being hand-rolled as Florida cigars, which for the most part was fairly affordable. But that all changed in the 1960s when Fidel Castro took over the Cuban tobacco industry, and when the embargo took place a few short years later, that was it for U.S.-rolled Cuban cigars.
It could be argued this cinching of premium cigar tobacco further rarified cigars, making them more valuable and prized. This, in turn, could have spurred the popularity and importance of properly protecting and storing cigars, giving humidors a place in American households.
Types of Humidors in History
Throughout each of these various changes and turns in the history of the cigar, humidors changed in popularity, type, technology, and availability. Let’s take a look at some of the ways humidors impacted the cigar industry over the decades.
Cabinet Humidors
Some of the earliest models of humidors were of the cabinet variety, replicating the curing barns of South America. In fact, the first cabinet humidors were made from exotic wood brought from South Africa in the late 19th century by Terence Manning, an Irish furniture maker credited as the inventor of the first cabinet humidor. His business and family went on to make well respected cabinet humidors, with the Manning name becoming iconic in the humidor industry.
Now, as for where Spanish cedar fits into all of this, that can be traced all the way back to the curing barns of yesteryear, which were often made of this resilient, highly aromatic material. Naturally, it didn't take humidor manufacturers long to realize that this kind of wood also worked well in their products.
As a selectively permeable substance, Spanish cedar excelled at maintaining the proper internal humidity levels for storing cigars on either a long or short-term basis. And while humidors have gone on to be crafted with an array of different materials over the years, Spanish cedar remains the preferred material for lining cigar boxes and humidors alike.
Desktop Humidors
Zino Davidoff is widely championed as the inventor of the desktop humidor. His father was a tobacco merchant, giving young Zino Davidoff an appreciation for quality cigars from an early age. His travels to South America, including Cuba, would ultimately lead Zino to invent a product to imitate the climate and humidity levels of Cuba, but in a far smaller footprint. Davidoff is also credited with creating the first self-regulating humidor as well as the first walk-in humidor, with Davidoff walk-in humidors still being revered as some of the best in biz today.
Davidoff humidors also achieved widespread respect due to his uniquely crafted aesthetic, with the design being just as much of a focal point as the product's humidification purposes. While cigar smoking has always been associated with a certain styles, Davidoff is responsible for setting the bar for classic, well-designed humidors.
To this day, the desktop humidor remains a cornerstone accessory for the world's cigar enthusiasts. These smaller humidors, with their 10–100 stick capacity range, were a game changer for the cigar industry, giving smokers an affordable, intuitive way to store cigars pretty much anywhere.
For more, be sure to check out our Klaro Deep Dive on desktop humidors, and learn why sometimes smaller truly is better.
Portable Humidors
While traveling with a clay pot full of stogies, or a small, hinged locking cigar box was always an option, it wasn't until 1998 that cat by the name of G. Gerry Schmidt of Newport Beach, California, patented the first known portable humidor.
Featuring a telescopic design and humidification elements on the top and bottom of the case this now dated design revolutionized the cigar smoking world. Nowadays, portable humidors and cigar travel cases feature integrated humidification trays or pockets for humidity packs that allow the traveler to carry anywhere from a few sticks to a couple dozen smokes along on their weekend getaway or business trip.
Modern Humidors
Modern humidors tend to be just as technologically advanced as they are aesthetically alluring. The materials being used have also grown increasingly diverse, with everything from sleek and luxurious, to rugged and waterproof being an option.
Technology
Modern humidors continue to evolve, but some of the most important elements remain the same. Quality craftsmanship, Spanish cedar linings, a good seal, and an efficient humidification system are just as important in humidors today as they were with some of the earlier models.
The modern man's travel humidor is now being made with materials like ballistic nylon and waterproof zippers, which you will find on products like Felix. Outdoor enthusiasts are also taking full advantage of products like the 30 Cal Smoke Can, which features a bulletproof military shell, magnetized accessory pouches, and shelved Spanish cedar internals.
Back at the homestead, new developments like the upright Frigador allow cigar owners to control not only the humidity, but temperature and air circulation as well. The advent of digital smart hygrometers like the Klaro Valet make it even easier to check humidification levels, as this can now be done remotely with any kind of connected device. Smart hygrometers also allow you to catalog your cache and keep tabs on temperature and humidity fluctuations over days, weeks, and even months.
And then there is the whole luxury line of humidors, which features some of the most advanced cigar tech on the planet, and materials fit for royalty. While they may not be suitable for the average cigar smoker, these ultra high-end models are tailer-made for cigar lounges and elite smokers alike.
Parting Puffs
Today, cigar enthusiasts generally spend more on premium cigars than ever before. Similar to the high-end liquor market, it’s becoming more common for household owners to invest in their own collection of high-end cigars.
And, because of this, they’re also investing more in high quality humidors. Or, in some cases, high volume humidors, like cabinet humidors or walk-in humidors. It’s not uncommon now for the private household to build walk-in humidors that are capable of housing thousands of cigars.
While some recommended standards exist for modern humidors—like Spanish cedar—variations have come about over the years, with materials and design varying to create more affordable options.
For example, acrylic humidors are now a thing, with some featuring Spanish cedar inlays to maintain humidification levels. Other humidor travel cases are designed to handle depressurization that occurs during flight when the humidor is stored in the aircraft bay rather than the cabin. The market continues to evolve and bring about new types of humidors, variations on designs, and approaches to aesthetics.
