cigarette girl

[Sam Clements]

That would be "Annie Goodwin."

As a side note, I'm not interested in girls who made cigarettes in factories
in the 1800s

sc
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sam Clements" <SClements at NEO.RR.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, October 14, 2007 2:01 PM
Subject: cigarette girl


Of course, we've all seen the 1920s-1930's and later movies with the doll in
a skimpy outfit, hawking cigarettes in night clubs.

But, I'm wondering where it came from.  I've checked OED, HDAS, and searched
Google a little.  Not much luck.

The term turns up as early as the 1880's using Newspaperarchive, with
reference to a character in Carmen, the opera.

Then, there is a horrible death of one Annie Goiodwin, in NY in 1890.  She's
always referred to as a "cigarette girl" but I can't find out why.

Perhaps, if I wanted to spend a few more hours, I could come up with answer,
but defer to the scholars on here.

Sam Clements

PS--Larry once posted his mother was a "cigarett girl" in NY in the 30's.
Maybe he knows.

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