I was thinking about this: in many of the old paperback gothics there were cigarette advertisements in the middle of the book. Why do you think they were there? Did the cigarette companies have a agreement with the publishing house or the author's? And why only cigarette ad's and not other things, like soap or perfume or something? Now you would never ever have an advertisment in a book. Am I the only one that thinks it was practice was odd?
I don't have any answers for you, but I do know that it makes me smile every time I find one. I used to tear them out, which left jagged places in some of my gothics, till I finally thought, "Why am I doing this? They aren't attractive, it's true, but they are part of the era in which these books were published." So I stopped. But of course you're right. It wouldn't happen today.
There is one of them in a book that I got over the weekend. It says, "Kent, For all the right reasons." Some changes are definitely for the better!
Penfeather, you are a fund of useful information. Thanks for the link! Some food for thought.