Finding an old cigar factory in Havana

[pedromendes]

Amongst the old books and magazines you’ll find for sale in Old Havana’s Plaza das Armas, many of the stalls also sell cigar bands and labels. I was excited to find, at numerous spots, the label for “El Dinamico” cigars, with the coy face of Joaquin Cuesta chomping on one of his stogies. I recognized him from Stephen McGinty’s “Churchill’s Cigar”, an excellent little biography of the famous Englishman from the point of view of his love affair with cigars [introduced to me by our very own Nino]. Cuesta’s factory had supplied Churchill with cigars for years before the Revolution. I felt like I was holding a very special piece of Cuban cigar history.

Then I noticed the address on the bottom of the label: Animas 59. The spot is easy to find, just over from the Prado, north of Parque Central, and right next to Sloppy Joe’s, which is currently being restored.

I was taking photos of the entrance when a current tenant, Fernando, encouraged me to have a look in the foyer. The building is now filled with apartments but Fernando knew that the first floor had once been a cigar factory. What he didn’t know, and I suspect many, many tourists don’t either, is that some of the cigars enjoyed by Winston Churchill were rolled on this spot.

For more photos, please visit my blog: http://lostincuba.tumblr.com/

[tempbond]

Thanks for the info. Nice looking label by the way !

[NJP]

Thank you again Pedro.

[Vcool]

Neat find.

[mk05]

I didnt know you had your own marca!?

[mazolaman]

Thanks Pedro.

Really interesting stuff.

Sad faded glory.

[Nino]

Great find and very interesting article - thank you for sharing !

Also interesting to browse your blog Pedro, well done.

[pedromendes]

I didnt know you had your own marca!?

Nice!!

[JohnnyC]

Thank You Pedro....I always fine History Fascinating. It is always good to be enlightened.