International Tobacc Silks
Assortment of 1.5 x 2.5 tobacco silks Ireland, United Kingdom, Norway, Finland, Netherlands, Denmark, Lubik, Latvia, Estonia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Danzig, Lithuania, Ukraine, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Monaco, Bulgaria, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Hungary, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Albania, Turkey in center; along left side US, Japan, Rep of China, Vatican City & Australia merchant; along right side Us arms, Egypt, China, Vatican Arms & Australia arms; stitched together 7 surrounded by a 1.5 inch light red cotton border.
Around the turn of the century it was a rare household that did not have at least one smoker living in it. The health dangers we are aware of now were yet unknown. Tobacco companies were eager to promote their products. Interestingly their promotions made possible the lesser-known practice of making quilts and other decorative items out of silk and flannel tobacco premiums.
During the late nineteenth century most men enjoyed a good cigar. Around the first decade of the century they began to include a small silk pictures.
By shifting to offering pictures on silks companies could use the buying power of women. Women were eager to obtain these popular sets of printed silk. The quality of these "silkies" varied from brand to brand. Eventually both silk and cotton was woven together making more colorful pictures possible. Some companies even included instructions for making household items with their silks. These silks were not only used to make quilts but they were also included in some crazy quilts.
Another form of popular novelties packaged with tobacco was printed flannels. An innovative motif included both oriental and Navajo designs touted as miniature Indian rugs. Silks and flannels have pictured everything from animals to flowers, from famous people to children at play and from flags to kewpie dolls.
The practice of giving away novelties to promote the sales of tobacco products diminished with the advent of World War I. But for several carefree years around the turn of the century women had enjoyed making decorative items with these novelties.
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