Spring Premier Auction 2018
Wed, Mar 7, 2018 04:00PM EST - Sat, Mar 24, 2018 11:00PM EDT
Timed Auction
Lot 223
1883 LORILLARD TOBACCO RETAIL DISPLAY CABINET
Sold for
$1,318.80
Sold Price includes BP
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $10 |
| $200 | $25 |
| $500 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $30,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
| $300,000 | $25,000 |
| $500,000 | $50,000 |
In the late 19th century manufacturers often provided retailers with showcases to promote their particular products. For the storekeeper it was an attractive and free addition to his shop while for the manufacturer a powerful advertising tool. Those cases however were not simply small inexpensive throwaways but rather elaborately designed and well-crafted pieces of furniture which today remain highly coveted by both collectors and connoisseurs of fine antiques. Of the surviving examples perhaps none are more exquisite than those created by the Lorillard Tobacco Company—familiar to most card collectors as the purveyor of a popular 1886 baseball team-card set as well as numerous highly regarded 1880s-90s non-sport issues.
Measuring 32-3/4" long 17-1/2" wide and 32-1/2" tall this striking rarity displays gloriously overall and features extraordinarily well-preserved etchings on the front glass panes reading "LORILLARD / TIN / TAG / TOBACCO." The middle center trim is engraved "P. LORILLARD & CO. / 1760-1883" while the top surface bears an engraved reference number "116." Safely protected over these many years the cabinet's brass components retain an impressively bright appearance and the etched glass shows beautiful condition except for a hairline crack in the lower-left pane. Additionally the cabinet's interior boasts a deep dark lustrous veneer. Normal age-commensurate wear is present on the top and back with the back also exhibiting a small round hole at upper left that likely served a retrofitted lighting system. Although the left side panel and trim have been repaired and refinished the expertise of the work suggests it may have been the fine vintage craftsmanship of the original carpenter himself. Speaking of whom the Lorillard company name is directly referenced on the underside—along with measurements and what appear to be order specifications—in a carpenter's penciled handwriting notations. We can only imagine how many of Lorillard's Red Crosses Mechanics Delights Actresses Circus Scenes Art Gallery Pictures Team Cards and the like were once housed by this historic showpiece. Even today it would serve as the perfect display venue for an advanced 19th-century baseball collection and form the cornerstone of an elite home museum.
NOTE: Due to the size and nature of this item appropriate shipping costs may be substantial.
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