Ann's last cigarette

I had the pieces...all I had to do was put them together....

This 1930s Bakelite cigarette holder has been part of my stash for forever...

the skull a recent acquisition...

I wanted to use them in a piece but never thought of putting them together...

but yesterday I went to a funeral of a friend's mother, who, although

it was never said that she died of smoking, all the signs were there...

the cough, the oxygen tank, the raspy speech.

I thought of my mother...and her Camel unfiltered in the 50s,

then the more modern Salems...but my mom wised up and quit

before the damage set it...

still she bought the goods sold by advertising companies

and by the fact that in the 1920s to the 80s smoking was considered cool...

and suddenly I see a resurgence of smoking in films, photography and cool hipster bands.

But now that I think of it, nothing like what we had when I was a teen...The Rolling Stones,

The Beatles, The Animals...all my heroes and cigarettes were a big, no huge, part of their

looks and sex appeal...

So then this came together..

 My homage to Ann Zam...

A fine southern lady, a wonderful cook, conversationalist,

fellow gatherer of antiques, a zesty drinker and

a lover of life...rest in peace Ann.