Posted 15 years ago
EstherB
(1 item)
My husband found 2 of these posters in the back of an antique mirror.
We believe they are from the time of the California gold rush.
I have tried to research these on line and only came up with information pertaining to Henry Sutliff who opened a tobacco store in San Francisco in 1849. Do you know ANYONE I could talk to about the value of this?
Wow, that's quite a page of cultural history!
Wow! What an AMAZING piece and a FANTASTIC find!
This is what I can tell you about it. First of all, if I had a nickel for every poster I found behind framed mirrors or other art, I would be a very rich man. It is very common to find valuable relics hidden between frames.
Ok, so Seal Rock Tobacco co. was a San Francisco based company that I believe produced coffee as well as tobacco during the 1800's. What you have here is called a "Broadside", it was a very common means of advertising back in the late 1800's which is the era I would date this piece (Maybe 1890's) they got that name because they were posted onto the broadsides of buildings for advertising purposes. These broadsides were printed and displayed, but NOT meant to be saved! They were printed on very thin paper similar to newspaper and were either torn down or posted directly over by new ads. So these are VERY rare to find, and those that did survive usually have lots of paper missing on them (Yours look to be in good condition considering the age)
Like many tobacco companies during the late 1800's, Seal Rock was one that participated in packaging trading cards in their tobacco products to boost sales. The trading cards were images of baseball players, actors, police men, and other important figures. You will find more trading cards today then you will tobacco posters or ads. And the trading cards can fetch a hefty amount to collectors.
Tobacco advertising is highly collectible today and can reach VERY high prices at auction. I have never seen an ad for Seal Rock, but the fact that you have 2 is amazing! These are great pieces and if they are not glued to board, you should have them professionally linen backed to preserve what is left of them. Paper perishes, that's why it is so collectible today. I hope I was of some help to you, take care of them and enjoy!