Leonard McCombe, Marlboro Man (1949)

Marlboro Man

Leonard Mccombe

This iconic photograph, taken by Leonard McCombe, was used by the Philip Morris Company to transform Marlboro cigarettes from the feminine appeal of being “Mild as May” to a more rugged image that appealed to men. When this campaign began in 1955, sales were at $5 billion; by 1957, they had jumped to $20 billion despite growing health concerns over cigarettes. McCombe took this photo of Clarence Hailey Long, a ranch foreman in Texas, in 1949.

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Leonard McCombe/Getty Images