Tobacco Silks were a popular souvenirs sold with packages of cigarettes in the late 19th ad early 20th century (1880-1910).
Albums were available in which to display the collections. They were offered in different topical areas; Birds & Animals, Butterflies, Flags, Flowers, National Songs, Famous People, Sports Teams, Persian Rugs and Colleges and Universities. Presumably some of the categories were to entice members of the emerging suffrage and early womans equality movements to begin smoking.
These were provided by the Sovereign Cigarette Company.
Collection includes silks for Austria-Hungary, Man of War; Brazil; Cape Colony (Modern South Africa); Egypt (prior to WWI); France, Netherlands, Royal Standard; Nicaragua, Poland (As a Grand Duchy of Imperial Russia; Republic of Portugal; Saxe-Coburg-Gotha; Servia (modern Serbia); Trieste; Milan @ A Persian Rug .
All the flags, except Nicaragua, are marked Factory No. 649, First Dist. N.Y. Nicaragua is marked Factory No.30, 2nd Dist. N.T.
The Persian Rug is marked Luxury Cigarettes
Factory No. 7 3rd Dist. of N.Y. Patent License NO. 1045372
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.
From the Louise Veninga Collection.
ZFC Collectible Flag
