Steven Heller's Sciatica Leads to Rediscovery of Egyptian Cigarette Packaging

In a recent installment of The Daily Heller on PRINT Magazine, design critic Steven Heller recounts how a bout of sciatica prompted him to sort through his collection of design ephemera, leading to the rediscovery of vintage Egyptian cigarette packages. Heller, who has undergone spinal fusion and laminectomy twice, describes the pain of sciatica and the common treatments, including physical therapy, steroids, acupuncture, and surgery. To distract himself, he turned to his flat files, where he found the cigarette packs, which he uses to illustrate the role of graphic design in everyday consumer goods. He notes that these Egyptian-made tobaccos, sold worldwide, employed an 'orientalist' graphic style to signal premium quality and seduce buyers. The article includes multiple photographs of the cigarette packages from Heller's collection. Heller references PRINT's unofficial Paul Rand motto, 'everything is design,' to underscore the design principles at play. The piece reflects on how design strategies in packaging can carry cultural and commercial significance.