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A dark and smoky peek inside Martinez Cigars: A small cigar shop in NYC

After watching an interesting film about Martinez Cigars, a small cigar shop in New York City, Manchester-based Swedish photographer Josef Szotten decided he simply had to visit the place, the next time he was in the Big Apple.

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Via Creative Boom submission. All images courtesy of the artist

Via Creative Boom submission. All images courtesy of the artist

Apparently, it's a family-run business where they roll their own cigars from scratch and by hand, all based out of a tiny little shopfront in Manhattan. On his first trip to Martinez, Szotten was unlucky and missed out on seeing the staff roll the cigars – something he really wanted to photograph. It wasn't until his second visit to NYC that he had success, and managed to take this fascinating series of shots that really echo the dark and smoky atmosphere of this charming cigar shop.

Speaking of his afternoon spent taking photographs there, Szotten said: "I took a seat in one of the odd chairs and just started chatting. I'm usually pretty shy but I had planned this for too long not to make an effort. All the patrons seem to be regulars. It's the day before 4th of July so it's pretty busy. Customers are stocking up for the long weekend or just getting the odd one for the special occasion. These people to me seemed like the 'true' Americans. I often say that New York isn't quite America. It's just a melting pot of people from all over the place and while yes, it has loads of American culture it's also cultures from around the world, which is what makes it so special.

"Either way - these customers, the people working in the shop, the people just hanging around smoking in the shop – they're just salt-of-the-earth people. No tourists, no dressed up fashionistas, no bearded and tattooed hipsters – just real people. It's tricky to explain. All I can say is that I love this place."

Discover more on Szotten's website: Josefszotten.com.

Two men at a counter inside Martinez Cigars shop, with framed photographs and handwritten notes covering the dark walls behind them
Black and white photograph of a desk fan and cigar rolling supplies inside Martinez Cigars shop in Manhattan
Black and white photograph of display cases at Martinez Cigars showing various packaged cigars with product labels inside glass showcases
A man wearing a baseball cap rolls cigars by hand at a workbench surrounded by colleagues in the Martinez Cigars shop in New York City
Black and white photograph of a bald man at a table in Martinez Cigars, smiling at the camera while holding a cigar, with other patrons visible and framed photographs on the walls behind him
Black and white photograph of customers gathered outside Martinez Cigars shop with hand-made sign visible in window
Cigar lighters and a glass on the counter of Martinez Cigars in black and white, with a blurred figure rolling cigars in the background
Two men inside Martinez Cigars shop, with framed photographs visible on the wall behind them in black and white
Men hand-rolling cigars at Martinez Cigars in Manhattan, with tools and materials spread across the work surface
Black and white photograph showing a workbench with tobacco leaves, rolling tools and bottles at Martinez Cigars cigar shop in Manhattan
Stacked wooden cigar boxes and loose cigars arranged on shelves in the dimly lit Martinez Cigars shop in Manhattan
Black and white photograph of a window display at Martinez Cigars featuring glass jars, a small figurine, ventilation grilles and various objects on a shelf
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