Carlton World

[CarltonHendricks]

Just got this trophy…pretty excited about it….looking forward to its arrival…best rowing trophy I've seen…Both sides are so ornate It may be hard to decide which side to display...looking into a motorized rotating stand...In trophy world there's two kinds...stock silver plate ones you ordered from a catalog and engraved...then there is what's referred to as "presentation silver" which this is...sterling silver made by Whiting Manufacturing Company....one off special cast...I can't find positive proof yet but I believe this was designed by Whiting's chief designer Charles Osborne 1871-1920...who also designed for Tiffany's...sorry for poor photos but it's all I have till it arrives...needs polishing...much research to do on the who what whys...One thing I've noticed in the news clippings so far...is in the late 19th century those Boston rowing clubs loved to party....seems they were always having "Balls" and "Smokers" and seemingly any reason to throw a get together....among themselves and inviting their rivals...There was a slew of Boston rowing clubs...and it seems they loved challenging NYC clubs on the Harlem River to races. This trophy awarded to the Bradford Rowing Club of Boston (not to be mistaken for the English club of the same name)...appears to have been an offshoot of Boston's Riverside Rowing Club....which began as workers of the Riverside Press...Both Bradford and Riverside were amateur clubs. The names of the members are almost all Irish...and I get the feeling it they were basically blue collar Irishman clubs...perhaps ready and anxious to take on Harvard rich kids...Like I say much research to do...Below a few things I dug up so far…

[CarltonHendricks]

I just picked up this 40”x30” porcelain sign... weighs a whopping 29lb…Cycle Cigarettes was originally one of the brands of the American Tobacco Company of Durham N.C, founded in 1890.…Tobacco historian Jon Canfield believes the Cycle Cigarettes brand started in 1895…Obviously American Tobacco employed the popularity of bicycling to promote their cigarettes…

In 1902, James Buchanan Duke, founder and president of American Tobacco…formed a joint venture with the British company “Imperial Tobacco Company”…to form the “British-American Tobacco Company Ltd.”…as seen marked on this sign… So the sign was likely made in England for one of the British-American Tobacco Company markets…Based on its large size I would speculate it was displayed in a prominent location where many would have seen it…

“Cycle Cigarettes” would have had a better sound bite than “Bicycle Cigarettes”…To promote an upscale image the cyclist wears respectable attire of knickers, argyle knee socks, a Norfolk jacket with vest, neck tie, and flat cap…I like the name Cycle in bold red over the three packs…makes it pop in person…and the illustration of the lit cigarette lower right with smoke wafting up…And to top it off I have a thing for green signs...

Someone at some point for some reason attached it to a wooden picture frame…which I’ve never seen done…I kind of thought I’d remove it once I got it…but now that I see it in person I think I’ll leave it…doesn’t hurt anything and looks kinda nice...at least my neighbor who knows nothing about antique signs thought so...

I’ve been collecting sports display antiques over 38 years s and never seen an example of this sign before…so I was v happy to add it to my collection…

[ooo-ribay]

Another great pickup, Carlton! The cylindrical packaging of the cigarettes is interesting.

[ruth-gehrig]

Nice sign Carlton! I dabble in porcelain signs myself and haven't seen another either. Condition doesn't bother me when in reality you'll probably never come across another. I like it!

[Hankphenom]

I know it's probably out of the question, but man, would that look fabulous restored!