Camel City: Tobacco & Transformation, 1875-1964

Presented in recognition of the 150th anniversary of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Camel City examines how innovation and industry transformed Winston Salem into a commercial powerhouse. Visitors will explore the forces behind this rise— how mechanized cigarette production and pioneering advertising campaigns reshaped commerce and consumer culture. At the same time, the exhibition sheds light on the often-overlooked labor behind the success, particularly the contributions of women, especially Black women, whose work fueled production yet whose voices remained marginalized.

Follow along as this exhibition traces the emergence of labor movements that sought equity in an industry marked by stark power imbalances, and reckons with the evolving scientific and cultural understandings of tobacco’s impact, culminating in the Report of the Surgeon General’s Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health.

Through a dynamic assemblage of rare and compelling artifacts, Camel City presents an intricate portrait of a city and one of its most consequential industries—one that shaped commerce, culture, and discussions of public health on an international scale—at a pivotal moment in history.

Archival photographs offer an intimate glimpse into factory life, revealing both the modernity and the hardships of industrial labor. Original advertisements and branding materials illustrate the strategic artistry behind one of the most influential corporate identities of the 20th century. Masterworks by Frederick Mizen, Haddon Hubbard Sundblom, and McClelland Barclay reflect how tobacco companies enlisted fine art to craft an aspirational vision of their products. Supplemented by materials from the Reynolda House Archives and the Forsyth County Public Library, the exhibition weaves together industry, identity, and social change, presenting a nuanced and thought-provoking exploration of Winston-Salem’s past.

Header image: Two women drying tobacco leaf, circa 1961. Courtesy of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company