Circa 1910 Chicago Cubs Counter Display

[Archive]

Posted By: Pat Nester

Has anyone ever seen this advertising piece before? I recently acquired this at a local antique auction I attended that featured many items that were part of an old general store. It is circa 1910 tin 3 dimensional counter display for cub shoe polish that is often attributed to the Chicago Cubs given that the bear cub appears to be wearing a baseball uniform. I have seen the actual tins of shoe polish before and the advertising pins depicting a similar cub image commonly show up on eBay.

The piece measures approximately 7 inches wide and 10 inches high and is color lithograph on metal similar in the look and feel to baseball advertising signs of this era.

The color and detail of the graphics are outstanding. Appears that tins of the shoe polish use to sit on it or were also stored inside.

Anyone ever seen this before?

[Archive]

Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

Here is the related pin (pin removed to show back text better), these do show up on occasion but I wouldn't call them "common."

-Rhett

[Archive]

Posted By: Mike H

Unlike Chicago Cubs tobacco,these were not endorsed by the Cubs to my knowledge. The display piece is quite rare I'm sure but I disagree with the assertion that this is a "Chicago Cubs Counter Display". As a Cub fan and collector I'm always conflicted when I see the pinbacks, and have resisted buying something we are forcing into the baseball memorabilia niche.

I would love to hear other thoughts on this topic.

[Archive]

Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

Seems pretty obvious to me that the bear is wearing a baseball uniform, that is what brings the item into the "Baseball memorabilia" category for me.
-Rhett

[Archive]

Posted By: Dan Bretta

I don't think there is any doubt that the shoe polish company was exploiting the Chicago Cubs - would I call it baseball memorabilia? No, but I would still be interested in it if I collected Chicago NL items. Was the company headquartered in Chicago?

[Archive]

Posted By: Pat Nester

To answer your question Dan, the company was from Chicago and the name is noted in very small lettering on the display with the city of Chicago indicated.

You can't really see the detail that well in my scan but the "buttons" on the cub's uniform look just like the pin Rhett posted. The buttons on the cub in the display have the image of the cub bear on them.

[Archive]

Posted By: Dan Bretta

Surely this was playing on the popularity of the Chicago Cubs then. I've seen the pin before, but not that display. Wonder if there are any of the old shoe polish tins around?

[Archive]

Posted By: mike

Here is the front

[Archive]

Posted By: mike

Here is the back, mike

[Archive]

Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

Mike, are those 1909 patent dates on the front of the tin (it is tough to see)? Just want to know as a reference to the potential age of the related pin and display. I had suspected around 1910 but this probably confirms the 1909-10 date. Also pretty obvious to me these items are referring to the Chicago Cubs, as they are the "Best in Town" and the lithographer martin & Martin was in Chicago.
-Rhett

[Archive]

Posted By: Mike H

I always thought the bear on the pin was wearing a night gown. The add definately is a baseball uni with the buckle to the side. I do agree that it's baseball memorabilia, but I can't call it Cubs memorabilia.

[Archive]

Posted By: mike

Rhett, Those were pictures I just had stored. I will try to blow one up to see the date for you. mike

[Archive]

Posted By: mike

Thats the best I could get it. Sorry

[Archive]

Posted By: Dan Bretta

I can clearly see from the first pic that the date is 1909.

[cincicards]

I just picked up this Cub Shoe Polish pin, anybody seen this version before?

!BVt5Pi!B2k~$(KGrHgoH-EYEjlLl2qfnBKT8EtegFw~~_12.jpg


!BVt5QQQCGk~$(KGrHgoH-D0EjlLlt1SHBKT8E)h-0!~~_12.jpg

[slidekellyslide]

Nope, never seen it before. Nice score!

That "O U ....." was a very popular saying in the early 1900s.

[MK]

Muchinsky has the "OU" Cub polish pin in his book. Same price as the plain one.