6 murad T51 college university cards Columbia Case Amherst Alma Blackburn

Description

This auction is for a group of 20 college/university murad T51 tobacco cards.  Please see photos for condition.
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 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.
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, while the Egyptienne Co. issued an exquisitely woven silk series that included the school seal and name/ 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.
In addition colleges and universities were included in several series of tobacco felts. Tobacco memorabilia issued almost 100 years ago is a wonderful reminder of one’s alma mater