old glory - death of Johannesburg "The Three Castles Building is a landmark historic ...

... structure in downtown Johannesburg. It started life as a factory for the production of 'Three Castles' cigarettes with the facade becoming a powerful marketing tool for the brand. Initially 100 female workers were employed to roll the cigarettes but by the late 1890s this role was taken over by machines. According to John Shorten in The Johannesburg Saga, the factory was unable to keep up with demand despite producing over 300 000 cigarettes a day!

It appears as though the factory began production in 1895. There is some confusion about its construction date as the official opening ceremony, attended by President Kruger, only occurred in 1899. This was Kruger's last official visit to Johannesburg according to Shorten."

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