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Originally Posted by thetahat
So I figured I’d take some more pictures today. When I thought about taking inventory, my original plan would be to group pennants by style or brand. For some it is obvious, like Keezer pennants are very distinct and many are stamped. For others you can tell they are of the same lot ... I’ll say “family” ... even if I cannot identify the company with certainty. Mr. Domer’s awesome research will help.
I thought I’d focus on the early 50s style in the link below. They share in common: simpler graphics, identical block letter font (not 3D), these come on both heavy felt and also cloth. These might be the first cloth pennants. They are well made. I have 12 of the 16 teams, missing Indians, Tigers, Reds, and Giants. This is a classy set, each team comes in many colors - Dodgers come in six or seven - I have some different ones but just posted one for each team. To pinpoint the date ... I have Browns but no Orioles. Phila A’s but no KCA. Milwaukee Braves but don’t think there’s a Boston Braves. There are some scroll pennants from 1949-50 that are obviously from the same company (similar font). But not just a plain team pennant.
So anyway, I’ll call this a 1953 set, with the Braves the only relocated team. You’ve all seen these before in other places, but maybe it’s cool to see them “as a family”. Would love to be able to identify the company.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/NyA4tshAB4ijMTXd8
I believe pennants that followed have the 3-D block letter name and city in script. |
Greg, awesome job tracking most of this "family" down. No question about it: these were all made by Trench Mfg. Co. in Buffalo, NY; and ca. 1953 looks to be about the right time period.
In the early half of the 1950s Trench used this distinctive serif font for
both the city and team names. In the later half of the decade, they mixed things up a bit and began writing the city name in cursive; and the team name in a 3-D block letter font.
Either way, it's a very handsome letter scheme. It was so popular Trench pretty much used this lettering through the 1960s and early 70s. By the 1970s, other pennant makers began copying it.
Great work!