#pool hall

1971, an era where "exercise" was apparently just the distance between your pool table and the nearest gas station. This ad leans heavily into the "I'd walk a mile for a Camel" campaign, but with a gritty, film-noir edge. Nothing says "peak masculinity" quite like a crumpled pack of smokes abandoned on the rail of a billiards table at 2 AM. It’s the ultimate aesthetic for someone who wants to look like they have a mysterious past, a gambling debt, and a very distinct cough. It’s vintage marketing at its most evocative: selling the idea that walking is only worth it if there’s nicotine at the end of the trail.

Bill's Pool Hall, Midtown, Detroit. Photo by Dave Jordano, 2022.

Back in instagram days I posted a question about the settings used for this photo, which Mr Jordano graciously answered. For the record: ISO 100, 16 seconds f/11, fluorescent light temp setting (closest to LED light temp) with some Adobe Raw color correction.

Pretty much a perfect photo IMHO.

That was an endemic comestible, was it not?