This antique Columbia University football cigar silk from the 1910s was beautifully stitched into a crazy quilt by a resourceful seamstress. It's the larger size of the "Athlete and College Seal" style tobacco premium silks, which were a premium for Murad cigarettes, although this one is stamped "Little Cuban."

This silk features a generic football player in the blue and white uniform of the Columbia Lions, along with the seal of the Ivy League Columbia University in New York. It's a wonderful find for fans of Columbia football, but also for anyone interested in tobacciana, sports collectibles, or textile history.

"Cigar silks" are like baseball cards, but printed on fabric. Tobacco companies gave them away to entice smokers to buy their brand of cigarettes, sometimes including them in the packaging. In this case, it's likely the insert was a coupon or “gift slip” that could be sent in for the silks, found in packs of expensive brands of cigarettes or small cigars from about 1912 to 1915. At a time when it was scandalous for women to smoke, tobacco company advertising encouraged them to collect silks from smoking spouses or friends to repurpose into useful items.

Dozens of American colleges and universities were represented in the Murad series, featuring a variety of athletic sports, with 250 silks in all. Jefferson Burdick’s "American Card Catalog" describes the S21 silks being a larger, 5″ x 7″ size (from which this one may be cut down), while S22 silks are about the size of a small postcard.

The silk is in good condition but has some creases. The crazy quilt piece has been wrapped around a piece of cardboard and secured with clear packing tape (not by me!) and is ready to frame. Some of the crazy quilt fabric is deteriorating. Be sure to zoom in on each photo to see the details and general condition.

I also have a Harvard baseball silk sewn into a quilt piece, sold separately. You can see it in the last photo and buy it here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1017333597. International buyers: if you buy them both together, I will send them in one package and refund the shipping overcharge to you promptly.

Outer measurements: 7 x 9 inches (17,78 x 22,86 cm)
Cigar silk piece: 4 x 6 inches (10,16 x 15,24 cm)

This tobacco silk was collected by my genius mom over a lifetime of midwestern thrift shopping. I would love to send it to you as I work on finding Forever Homes for all her wonderful rescued stuff. I bet you'd like her other things, too, so check them out: http://modernpoetry.etsy.com

If you don't see what you're looking for, drop me a line! There is WAY more stuff than I've been able to post, and chances are I can locate it for you and make you a special reserved listing.

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Basic shipping is free for this item, but if you are paying for a shipping upgrade or international postage, or if you live in Michigan or a nearby state, drop me a line and I'll see if I can give you a discount on the item cost.

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I am an expert packer, shipping by USPS from Michigan, usually by the next business day, with delivery confirmation whenever available. I am happy to ship internationally.

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