Tuxedo Cigarettes c. 1912-1914 large size athlete cards
 

This card sold a little bit ago on eBay; I didn't win it but bid. Really cool and large card, thought it would look great with my T218's. I don't know anything about these, and wondering if others are known and can be shown.

I found some advertisements from the period for Tuxedo giving marketing from other athletes that may have cards like this too. The 6 person ad is from 1912; the other one from 1914.

Anyone know anything about these?

What size are these?

The overall format makes me think they're like the subway car ads over the seats on the MBTA. Like 10x 24 inches ish.

But I've never seen one in person, so for all I know it could be 2x4 inces...

Seller described it as:

“Circa 1910 Tobacco Ad Panel Matt McGrath Hammer Thrower Original Trolley Panel. this is an original 11"x21" Trolley card ad panel for Tuxedo Tobacco”

It’s probably later than 1910, it may well be a trolley ad. Definitely for some kind of larger public display rather than a card to collect in a set.

The ad is from 1912. The 1912 Olympics were in Stockholm, Sweden. Matt McGrath won a gold in the hammer throw at those games. He won a silver medal in London, 1908 and Paris, 1924. Gaston Strobino won a bronze medal in the marathon. He did not qualify for the team. He paid his own way and was a surprise medalist. Martin Sheridan did not compete in 1912. He won a gold medal in the discus at the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis. He won 5 medals (2 gold, 3 silver) at the 1906 Intercalated games in Athens. He won two golds and a bronze at the 1908 games in London. He retired in 1911. He was an NYC police officer and died in 1918 as a victim of the Spanish Flu Pandemic.

Very rare signature of Sheridan from 1906

Attachment 566295

Signature of McGrath

Attachment 566296

How do we know the 1912 date for the card? Are there others known to exist then?

I only know McGrath for his other T218 and T227 cards. I've been looking for a third copy of his 'finger smudge' T218 for years.

Looks like they are known in baseball land. Mathewson and McGraw were sold as "circa 1910", Johnson as 1910.

Morgan appears to be an unissued copy of the card.

At least 8 cards exist. This one strongly suggests a post 1912 issue date.

I don't know how often they changed the ads then, but if it's anything like today, the ads could well be issued across a few years.

I would certainly not expect them all to be from the same year.

Lasky got into the film business in 1913, it is very unlikely his card is from before them and is probably somewhat after to be referred to as the wizard of it.

I cannot find evidence for this 1912 claim for McGrath. EDIT: I cannot find any evidence the hobby knew of this card at all before 2023. This makes me doubtful there is an evidentiary basis for this claim.

The 1910 date on the baseballs does not seem to be evidentiary.

Here's another ad, from 1914, with Johnson and some other subjects without cards yet known to me.