a very informative series of cigarette cards on how to do…. just about anything

how to draw a duck without pencil leaving the paper:

how to extract a splinter:

how to keep saucepan’s lid raised:

how to prevent an ink bottle from upsetting:

when boiling cracked eggs:

how to cut new bread into slices:

how to blow over a brick:

but my favourite of them all has to be…

how to light a cigratte with a piece of ice:

a very astonishing trick based upon the chemical property of the combustion of potassium on contact with water. place a small piece of potassium in the end of the cigarette, on touching this with the piece of ice, the resulting flame will ignite the cigarette, much to the astonishment of your friends

from the nypl digital gallery