1890c *MRS. STUART ROBSON* \"ACTRESS\" {SWEET CAPORAL CIGARETTE} PHOTO TRADE CARD For Sale

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1890c *MRS. STUART ROBSON* \"ACTRESS\" {SWEET CAPORAL CIGARETTE} PHOTO TRADE CARD:
$16.99

During theDepression of 1873–79, the production of cigars, pipe,chewingandsnufftobacco in the United States mostly stagnated; however, cigarette production, took off from 28 million in 1873—to 371 million in 1879. During the first post-depression 1880 year, 533 million cigarettes were manufactured.[1]Until 1880 whenJames Albert Bonsackinvented the first cigarette rolling machine, all cigarettes were rolled manually, on average about four cigarettes per minute by experienced workers.

Seeing the commercial opportunity, Francis S. Kinney, a tobacco manufacturer and founder of the Kinney Tobacco Co. of New York who already experimented with hand-rolled cigarettes starting from 1869,[2]channeled his energies into the mass production of cigarettes with a blend of Turkish and Virginia tobacco in his factories inNew York CityandRichmond, Virginia. Kinney even invited experienced cigarette-rollers from Europe to serve as instructors.[3]: 26 Kinney Tobacco Co. sold cigarettes under the brands ofFull Dress,Sweet Caporal,Kinney’s Straight CutandSportsman’s Caporalin addition to already establishedSweet Caporal Smoking Tobacco.[4]Francis Kinney was joined by his brother,Abbot Kinneyand the firm became known as Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company.

In the 1870s, Kinney Tobacco Co. along withAllen & Ginter,Goodwin & Co.,W.S. Kimball & Co.,Marburg Brothers & Co., and F. W. Felgner & Son Co. formed theBig Sixof the American cigarette industry; these six tobacco firms jointly controlled 75 percent of the national cigarette business.[4]

In 1887, Francis S. Kinney patented an apparatus for delivering packages of cigarettes and a machine for applying saliva-proof mouth pieces to cigarettes (with W. H. Butler), as well as distinctive designs for the company\'s cigarette boxes and cigarette cases.[5]In 1890, the Kinney brothers received $5 million in stock after merging their firm into theAmerican Tobacco Company, which acquired control of 90-percent of the cigarette market in the country, establishing a corporatetrustwith a near monopoly on cigarette production.[3]: 34 

The Kinney Tobacco Co. production facility inNew York Citywas housed in a row of buildings stretching from 515 to 525 West 22nd Street.[6]Additionally, at 513 West 22nd Street there was a salesroom and at No. 529—a five-story building of the packing department built in 1888. The facility on West 22nd Street was known to be able to manufacture 18,000,000 cigarettes weekly.[citation needed]

On October 6, 1892, the Kinney\'s production and logistics complex on West 22nd Street was gutted by afive-alarm fire. It was supposed that the fire originated around 5:30 a.m. in the basement storage area of the four-story brick building, address No. 521-525 West 22nd Street, from a gas leak that was ignited by a gas-powered chandelier (gasalier). Later, it spread to a five-story brick building No. 527-529 West 22d Street, and onto a four-story brick building No. 513 West 22d Street.[7]

An estimated 40,000,000 cigarettes were destroyed by flame and/or water damage. The loss was estimated at $350,000; later it was adjusted to $243,618.56.[7]Due to the early morning timing of the fire, no one was injured.[8]

Sweet Caporallaunched as a brand in 1878, persevered through a merger and survived the subsequent dissolution of a cigarette trust afterUnited States v. American Tobacco Co.It turned into a money-making brand for the reconstituted American Tobacco Company on a par withPall MallandMecca.[9]At the beginning of the 20th century, it became especially popular in Canada.[10]American Tobacco Company entered the Canadian market in 1895 by acquiring theMontreal-based American Cigarette Company and D. Ritchie & Co. forming the American Tobacco Company of Canada, Ltd. In 1908, when American the Tobacco Company of Canada was bought out by theImperial Tobacco Company of Canada,Sweet Caporalcigarettes commanded a 50-percent share of the Canadian market; the brand continued in Canada until 2011.[10]

The original N-series of theKinney Bro\'s High-Class Cigarettescards issued in the 1880s, including the Sweet Caporal brand, featured multiple topics: Actresses,[11]Animals, Heroes of the Spanish War,[12]Military,[13]Fish, Famous Gems of the World, Famous Running Horses, Novelties, Naval Vessels of the World, Butterflies of the World, Flags of All Nations, and Surf Beauties, among others. In the 20th century, Sweet Caporal cigarette cards of the T-series featured baseball and other new themes including 1910T206 Honus Wagnertrading card described by theNational Baseball Hall of Fameas the sport’s \"most famous strive to find rare and unusual vintage pieces to match up with your special collection.
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1890c *MRS. STUART ROBSON* "ACTRESS" {SWEET CAPORAL CIGARETTE} PHOTO TRADE CARD

$16.99