Spring Premier Auction 2016

Baseball and tobacco marketing were inextricably linked during the late 19th century and early years of the 20th century, as evidenced by the vast array of baseball cards issued in conjunction with tobacco products. While the population of a myriad of baseball card issues extolling a variety of tobacco brands from the period survive today, a relatively miniscule number of baseball related tobacco advertising signs exist within the hobby. Among the obvious reasons for this are the limited production runs, exposure to elements and damage from public display, and their basic disposable nature. All but a very small number of the hobby’s most coveted early baseball advertising signs have been lost forever to the junk heap of time. Among those rare survivors, the offered Walter Johnson Tuxedo Tobacco trolley car sign is among the hobby’s elite pieces.

Dating from 1910, it pictures a beautiful color lithographic head shot of the "Big Train," as well as a quote, "Tuxedo is the one tobacco that contains every desired element. It is the best tobacco I have ever smoked." It is by far the rarest of the three Tuxedo trolley signs with very few copies seen to date, and is aesthetically breathtaking. The sign has been beautifully restored to its current EX/MT appearance. The restoration appears to be limited to areas of expert color touch up and minor in-painting with no noticeable repair of paper loss. It has been mounted to an archival backing for preservation. This is an aesthetically breathtaking example of one of collecting's most elusive and impressive baseball advertising rarities from any era. Dimensions: 11 x 21 inches.