During the early 20th century, American tobacco companies produced a
wealth of Tobacco Premiums that were included free with tobacco
products.
Around 1910 there was about a four year “window” when the
focus of the material was on American Colleges and Universities.
The Egyptienne Co. issued an
exquisitely woven silk series that included the school seal and name. See #1 below.
The Richmond Straight tobacco company in Richmond, Virginia, (now
Philip Morris) produced a series of 50 known printed silks in a series
that contained the banner, seal, mascot (or appropriate symbol), yell
and song. See # 2 below.
Pictured left is a Plexiglas mounted Egyptienne Luxury Series Silk for Cornell (See #1 below; available for $95.00).
Pictured left are framed Richmond Straights for Harvard and West Point. (See #2 below; $350 each.)
Twelfth Night Cigarettes produced another series of woven in silk that
quality of which has been compared to Stephen Graphs, the 19th century
English sporting silks. See #3 below.
In addition colleges and universities were included in several series
of tobacco felts. See #4 below.
The Murad Company issued a series of cards and another series printed
on silk that showed various sports played at these universities.
The
large cards included a series of 25 colleges and universities that were
listed on the reverse side and as indicated were available in 1911. The
company also produced a series of 150 small cards.
Seals of the schools were embossed and printed on leather, which are
referred to as tobacco leathers.
Tobacco memorabilia issued a 100 years ago is a
wonderful reminder of alma mater.