Circa 1888 Allen & Ginter "Fans of the Period" Tobacco Card Advertising Banner

Sold For:

$2,160

Year:

1890

Auction:

2019 Summer

Lot #:

2690

Category:

Non-Sports Cards/Sheets/Card Artwork

Extraordinary full-color advertising poster (14.5 x 31 inches) for the N7 "Fans of the Period" tobacco-card set issued by Allen & Ginter in 1888. The design features a large illustration of a beautiful young woman holding a fan, below which are images of all 50 cards in the set. The text along the top reads "Allen & Ginter/Richmond Virginia/Fans of the Period." Advertising for both "Richmond Straight Cut No. 1" and Virginia Brights Cigarettes" appears along the base. While collectors are familiar with the actual cards from the "Fans of the Period" set, the advertising banner is exceedingly rare. This is the first example we have ever offered and we cannot recall having seen more than two others at auction in the past 20 years. These banners were produced by tobacco companies for display in tobacco stores to promote their particular brands and card issues. They are perhaps the most exquisitely produced of all advertising displays relating to card collecting, and are considered by many to be the greatest prizes of all nineteenth-century tobacco-card collecting. The banner displays minor edge tears, a few light surface wrinkles, and few tiny areas of scattered, light foxing. It should be noted that all of the aforementioned flaws are very unobtrusive and if matted and framed, the piece would be closer to Ex-MT in its overall appearance. This is a stunning display piece and one that would be a welcome addition to any advanced, advertising, nonsport, or tobacco collection. The substantial size/weight of this item requires that there will be an additional shipping charge for this lot.




Reserve $1,000. Estimate (open).