Cigar City

ABOUT THE BOOK

Cigar City: The Legacy of Tampa’s Founding Industry is a fine-art photography book honoring Tampa’s historic cigar tradition. J.C. Newman Cigar Co. published this book in celebration of the 140th Anniversary of the founding of Ybor City, which was founded in 1886.

“A century ago, Tampa had more than 200 cigar factories that hand rolled an astonishing 500 million cigars per year,” said Newman. “Cigars built the City of Tampa, fueled its economy, and made it world famous as ‘Cigar City.’ This book showcases the 25 cigar factories still standing in Tampa.

This beautiful 201-page hardcover book features 189 photographs by Zack Wittman that capture the 25 cigar factory buildings still standing in Tampa. The book also includes text by Drew Newman on the origins and evolution of Tampa’s cigar industry. The book was inspired by a 2023 article in the Tampa Bay Times profiling the 25 cigar factory buildings in Tampa.

“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.”

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Zack Wittman is an award-winning documentary photographer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and other leading publications.

Drew Newman is a fourth-generation owner of J.C. Newman Cigar Co., which operates the last traditional cigar factory in the United States.

WHOLESALE INQUERIES

This book is available wholesale to independent booksellers. For more information, please contact events@jcnewman.com