“Camel City: Tobacco and Transformation, 1875–1964” to open at Reynolda House August 16, 2025
(August 1, 2025) “Camel City: Tobacco and Transformation, 1875–1964” will open in the Mary and Charlie Babcock Wing Gallery at Reynolda House Museum of American Art Saturday August 16, 2025, and will be on view through January 4, 2026.
Timed with the 150th anniversary of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Camel City offers an insightful, at times poignant, examination of how industrial ingenuity shaped Winston-Salem into a commercial powerhouse. Visitors will see a carefully chosen collection of rare objects, each a tangible piece of the past. Together, they construct a comprehensive, often revealing, account of the company’s first ninety years – from a modest local operation to its rise as a national industrial giant.
Curated by Reynolda’s deputy director, Phil Archer, and Bari Helms, archivist, Camel City draws primarily upon loans from the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company as it analyzes how mechanized cigarette production and pioneering advertising campaigns propelled the Reynolds name to new heights, while also shedding light on the often-overlooked labor behind the success, particularly the contributions of women, especially Black women, whose work fueled production yet whose voices remained marginalized during this era.
“With Camel City, we are not just presenting an exhibition; we are peeling back layers of history to reveal the profound, often challenging, impact of industry in the shaping of community, economy, and culture,” said Allison Perkins, executive director for Reynolda House and Wake Forest University associate provost for Reynolda House & Reynolda Gardens. ” Most of us in Winston-Salem–in one way or another–have some personal connection to the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. This exhibition amplifies provocative stories through unique artifacts that relay an expansive awareness. More than history, these stories present opportunities for conversation about who we were, and who we are.”
Archival photographs offer a glimpse into factory life, revealing both the modernity and the hardships of industrial labor. Original advertisements and branding materials illustrate the strategic artistry behind one of the most influential corporate identities of the 20th century. Masterworks by Frederick Mizen, Edward Leigh Chase, and McClelland Barclay reflect how tobacco companies enlisted fine art to evoke a vision of life as it could be–refined and full of possibility–where their products aligned seamlessly with that ideal. Supplemented by materials from the Reynolda House Archives and the Forsyth County Public Library, among many other sources, the exhibition weaves together industry, identity, and social change, presenting a nuanced and thought-provoking exploration of Winston-Salem’s past.
“Diving into the story of Winston-Salem and the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company felt like finally piecing together a beautifully complex puzzle,” said Archer. “Camel City isn’t just about factories and fortunes; it’s a captivating journey through the artifacts that tell a surprisingly human tale of innovation, relentless ambition, and the sheer grit of many individuals.”
Tickets to the exhibition are available for purchase online at www.reynolda.org/camelcity.
Sponsorship Acknowledgement:
Reynolda House is grateful for the generous support of the following sponsors of “Camel City: Tobacco and Transformation, 1875-1964”: major sponsors, Forsyth County Government and John Hoemann and Howard Upchurch, lead sponsors Jim and Angie Johnston and Andrew and Ellen Schindler, contributing sponsors Dianne and Chuck Blixt, the Robert and Constance Emken Fund, Barbara Babcock Millhouse, and Gwynne and Dan Taylor, and exhibition partners Ragan and Dara Folan, Debi and Noah Reynolds, Saybrook Capital, and Gray and Leigh Smith.
Camel City Public Events
Curator Talks | August 23 & November 15 | $25 per ticket
Join exhibition co-curators Bari Helms, Archivist, and Phil Archer, Betsy Main Babcock Deputy Director, as they guide visitors through the layered history of a city—and a company—that helped define modern Winston-Salem.
Drinks @ Dusk | August 27 & November 5 | $30 per ticket; Ages 21+ Growing in popularity, Reynolda’s Drinks @ Dusk series is now expanded to three hours and invites guests to enjoy the historic property after hours for an evening art, history, food, and connection. Each ticket includes two drinks (choice of beer, wine, specialty drink, or mocktail), scavenger hunt activity through the Camel City exhibition, and hands-on crafts in the Studios.
Community Day | September 20 | Free to attend An annual tradition at Reynolda, Community Day is hosted free to all who attend and offers fun and games on the Reynolda House lawn from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Museum admission is also free all day). Local partners Lam Museum of Anthropology, Delta Arts Center, Aperture, and more offer hands-on learning opportunities while MUSE will be onsite collecting community oral histories as they relate to Camel City and the long legacy of tobacco and labor in the Winston-Salem region.
Walk A Mile In My Shoes | October 18 & October 21 | $75 per ticket Experience the power of music and memory in Walk a Mile in My Shoes. Camel City Co-curator Phil Archer offers historical narratives that bridge a gap between creative expression and resistance, and baritone Jason McKinney as Paul Robeson and Mipso guitarist and vocalist Joseph Terrell as Woody Guthrie bring alive the songs that energized a movement.
Object of the Month | November 19 | Included with Museum Admission Participants take a close examination of the ornate cigarette box designed by Edward F. Caldwell & Company. Learn more about this particular object, found in R.J. Reynolds’ Study, and how it sheds light onto the material culture of smoking accessories.
About Reynolda
Reynolda is set on 170 acres in Winston-Salem, N.C. and comprises Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Reynolda Gardens and Reynolda Village Shops and Restaurants. The Museum presents a renowned art collection in a historic and incomparable setting: the original 1917 interiors of Katharine and R.J. Reynolds’s 34,000-square-foot home. Its collection is a chronology of American art and featured exhibitions are offered in the Museum’s Babcock Wing Gallery and historic house bedrooms. The Gardens serve as a 134-acre outdoor horticultural oasis open to the public year-round, complete with colorful formal gardens, nature trails and a conservatory. In the Village, the estate’s historic buildings are now home to a vibrant mix of boutiques, restaurants, shops and services. Plan your visit at reynolda.org and use the free mobile app, Reynolda Revealed, to self-tour the estate.
Hours and Admission
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, located at 2250 Reynolda Rd., and the Reynolda Welcome Center and the Brown Family Conservatory, located at 100 Reynolda Village Way, are open to visitors Tuesday–Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Admission is charged for the Museum, though several free admission categories apply.Reynolda Gardens is open from dawn to dusk daily, free of charge. Reynolda Village merchants’hours vary. No ticket is needed to shop at the Reynolda House Museum Store.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Brittany Norton
Director of Marketing and Communications,
Reynolda House and Reynolda Gardens
brittany@reynolda.org
336-758-5524 (office)
336-926-6080 (mobile)
Images can be found at www.reynolda.org/press-camelcity
Top: R.J. Reynolds in his office, 1901, Courtesy of Reynolda House Archives