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Smoke & stories.

Forty years of photographs: Havana nights, the Italian Lauda Air, the first OneOff, and the making of MOLINARI.

Andrea G. Molinari as Fidel Castro bends to sign a humidor — HavanaFidel Castro signs Andrea’s humidor.

Signature reading Fidel Castro, Cuba, 26 February 1999 — Cuba · 26 February 1999The signature on the cedar shelf.

Don Alejandro Robaina and Andrea G. Molinari smoking at a table — HavanaWith Don Alejandro Robaina.

A framed photo at La Bodeguita del Medio showing Andrea G. Molinari with Niki Lauda — La Bodeguita del Medio · November 1997With Niki Lauda, framed on the wall of the Bodeguita.

Andrea G. Molinari playing bass beside Compay Segundo — HavanaOn bass, beside Compay Segundo.

Andrea G. Molinari in sunglasses beside an older man smoking a cigar — CubaWith Gassiot.

Black and white photo of Andrea G. Molinari with Luciano Pavarotti — With Luciano Pavarotti.

Luciano Pavarotti holding a cigar while Andrea G. Molinari talks to him — Pavarotti, cigar in hand.

Andrea G. Molinari shaking hands with Mike Bongiorno under the CIGAIR sign — CIGAIRMike Bongiorno, honorary president of CIGAIR.

Staged photograph: Andrea G. Molinari offers a blanket to an elderly man sitting on the ground with his dog — The blanket.

Andrea G. Molinari laughing with Niki Lauda in his red cap — With Niki Lauda.

Andrea G. Molinari holding a model of an Air One CityLiner jet — Air One CityLinerThe regional jets, 2006 – 2009.

Lauda Air Italy Boeing 767 landing — Zürich · 2001Lauda Air Italy, Boeing 767-3Z9ER.

Lauda Air Italy Boeing 767 on the runway at Kansai — Osaka Kansai · 2001Lauda Air Italy, Boeing 767-31AER.

Back of an original OneOff band printed 1999 — OneOff · 1999The original band, dated on the back.

Original OneOff box with an orange peace symbol — OneOffThe original box.

Open OneOff box of cigars tied with a red ribbon — OneOffOpened, with its ribbon.

Two original OneOff cigars with peace symbol bands — OneOffTwo of the first.

Stack of book-shaped MOLINARI boxes with gold spines — MOLINARIThe book boxes.

Blue MOLINARI box: 11 premium cigars, 22 years aged tobaccos — MOLINARIEleven cigars, twenty-two years.

Box of Big Lucianos half-wrapped in gold foil — Big LucianosHalf-dressed in gold.

Box of Don Placidos perfectos — Don PlacidosPerfectos in rows.

Box of Don Joses — Don JosesThe slim one.

Cigar in a gold tube resting on a signed printed page — Inside the box“Keep on farming, Don Alejandro.”

Title page of The History of the Flying Cigar Conceiver with handwritten dedications — The History of the Flying Cigar Conceiver.

Poster: Tobacco One-off Projects presents MOLINARI Cigars, Untaggable — Tobacco One-off ProjectsUntaggable.

Poster with a violin: Welcome to the world exclusive MOLINARI Cigars, totally handmade with 20 plus years aged long leaf tobaccos — Welcome to the world exclusive.

Tobacco drying barn in the Viñales valley — Viñales, CubaA tobacco drying barn.

Tobacco field below limestone mogotes in Viñales — Viñales, CubaTobacco under the mogotes.

View over the Estelí valley — Estelí, NicaraguaThe valley.

Shade-grown tobacco at the De Los Reyes farm — De Los Reyes · Santiago, RDShade-grown leaf.

Cigar rollers at work at De Los Reyes — De Los Reyes · Santiago, RDThe rolling floor.

Photo credits

Photographs of Andrea G. Molinari and of MOLINARI Cigars are from his private archive. Other images:

Lauda Air Italy Boeing 767-3Z9ER, Zürich 2001 · Aero Icarus · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Lauda Air Italy Boeing 767-31AER, Kansai 2001 · Wikimedia Commons contributor · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Tobacco fields and drying barn, Viñales Valley · Wikimedia Commons contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Tobacco farm, Estelí · Annick Vernimmen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Estelí valley from Tisey · Wikimedia Commons contributor · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Original OneOff 1999 band and box · halfwheel.com · © halfwheel · source
De Los Reyes field and factory · Cigar Aficionado · © M. Shanken Communications · source