Queen of the West Sweet Leaf Tobacco Package E. L. Tickner & Co., Anoka, Minnesota
Late 19th Century / SOLD

Description

Queen of the West Sweet Leaf Tobacco Package E. L. Tickner & Co., Anoka, Minnesota
Late 19th Century

 

A scarce surviving paper tobacco package for “Queen of the West” Sweet Leaf Tobacco, manufactured by E. L. Tickner & Co. of Anoka, Minnesota. Tobacco packaging of this era was intended for everyday use and was almost always discarded after the contents were consumed, making intact examples increasingly difficult to locate today.

 

The front panel retains its bold black-printed advertising against the original yellow paper wrapper, featuring the prominent “Queen of the West” brand name above “Sweet Leaf Tobacco” and the manufacturer’s imprint, E. L. Tickner & Co., Anoka, Minn. The reverse remains largely plain, preserving the original folded construction of the package.

 

This example displays honest age and use, with scattered staining, edge wear, paper losses, and areas of insect or moisture damage consistent with a nineteenth-century disposable paper artifact. Despite these condition issues, the printed graphics remain legible and visually appealing, preserving the package’s strong period character.

 

Regional tobacco advertising from Minnesota is encountered far less frequently than examples from the larger eastern tobacco-producing states, adding an additional layer of desirability for collectors of advertising, tobacciana, and Upper Midwest ephemera.

 

An attractive and uncommon survivor that represents the colorful branding and marketing of the American tobacco trade during the late nineteenth century.

 

Inventory Number: MIS 382