George W. Perkins was President of the C.M.I.U. from 1892 into the mid 1920’s and a strong believer in advertising. During the fifteen year long battle with the American Tobacco Trust, local Union chapters were encouraged to affix the “Blue Label” stamp to every box of cigars they made and to promote its recognition by the smoking public. Some Union locals created novelty give-aways depicting the Blue Label which were intended for their members to give to retailers and the public at large. Buttons, match safes, celluloid novelties and a wide range of paper goods are highly sought after by collectors today.
Date give-aways by the signature on the Blue Label stamp. The vast majority of C.M.I.U. give-aways were made between 1896 and 1915 and have Perkins’ signature. The presence or absence of a printers’ Union bug on the “Blue Label” may be helpful in further narrowing the date.
Store signs, parade floats, publications and items intended exclusively for Union members can be found in the C.M.I.U. Artifacts exhibit.
C.M.I.U. Give-aways
A National Cigar Museum Exclusive
© Tony Hyman
Brockton, Mass, is associated with buttons
and other give-aways. This colorful button
appeared in the fall of 1901.
[11458]
Two years later, in 1903, the mayor of Brockton
appeared on Fair buttons stating
his support for the Union.
[11459]
Colorful button from a later Brockton fair.
[11457]
Pocket mirror is a generic Union plea.
[11460]
Members indicated their support for Local 25
with this plain, but to the point, button.
[11456]
Odd back on this 1 3/4” incher isn’t that of a pin
nor mirror...making it a whatzit?
[11464]
Lapel button-hole stud.
[11462]
Uncertain whether this lapel button is genuine
or a modern fantasy.
[11461]
One of the most popular of surviving give-aways are match-safes bearing the Union blue label.
Mention of the Trust dates it before 1911.
[11433]
More text than a lot of Union give-aways characterizes this safe patented in 1905.
[11434]
My vote for the nicest of the many match-safes given away by various Union chapters. The tax stamp depicted on the box is the issue of 1910 used between 1910 and 1915.
[11427]
Reference to cleanliness is typical of Union
items made after passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906, Items made 1896-1911
usually mention the tobacco Trust.
[11428]
A particularly popular form of match safe
pictures an envelope on one side.
[11431]
Reverse of the previous mentions cleanliness,
a common theme after passage of the
Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906.
[11432]
“Not made by the Trust” is still found on the orange safe which dates 1910-1915. Since the Trust was broken up in 1911, the safe probably dates from that year. Or the reference is an anachronism.
[11430]
[11429]
Three-sided celluloid cover for a standard
box of wooden matches.
[11436]
Focus on cleanliness and absence of reference to the Trust suggests a date after 1911.
[11435]
Celluloid covered 1903 daily calendar, notebook, almanac given by Boston Local #97. 2.5” x 4.5”
[11443]
Unusual in that most give-aways don’t mention
specific Trust-made cigars. CREMO was
one of the nation’s largest selling cigars,
heavily advertised in newspapers.
[11444]
Celluloid ruler, front and back.
[11465]
Celluloid beer foam scrapers, 8 3/4” long.
Front and back.
[11466]
Celluloid comb holder, 4” long.
[11468]
Reverse of previous.
“Not made by a Trust” dates it before 1911.
[11467]
Celluloid razor blade holder. “Not made by a Trust” dates it before 1911.
[11469]
Reverse of blade holder.
[11470]
Combination pen-pencil set 5” long. Text:
“When next you buy a cigar be sure and see that this BLUE LABEL is on the box.”
[11471]
What is it? Oval shaped container 3 1/4” long
given by York local #242.
[11472]
Unusual Christmas gift from Union Local 192, Manchester, NH. This 3” x 8” celluloid covered booklet of ink blotters has a 1922 calendar, making it later than nearly all other give-aways.
[11445]
Ink blotter give-away. Emphasis on “We spend our union wages here at home; please reciprocate” suggests a middle teens date for this 8”x 3 3/4”
ink blotter.
[11439]
Small, 2” x 2.75” (closed) leather holder
for matches or whatever.
[11453]
Paper bag 3” x 2” x 6” into which Union-made
cigars were placed by retailers when the
customer bought more than one.
[11487]
Deck of playing cards, showing the box, back and faces. Card players will recognize the clue to
what kind of deck it is.
[11454]
Brass colored 4.5” metal ashtray with paper insert.
“Smoke Union Made Cigars and YOU will discourage the TRUST, CHILD LABOR
and the SWEAT SHOP.”
[11451]
Tin 13” x 10.5” serving tray given away by
Grand Rapids, Michigan, local #46.
[11408]
Post card size trade card depicting the Brockton Court House. An active local Union is best
known for giving away lots of Brocton buttons.
[11477]
Unknown building depicted on post card size
trade card given away by CMIU Local 130
in Saginaw, Michigan in 1907.
[11478]
Reverse of previous Saginaw trade card.
[11479]
1898 trade card with following dialog:
Spain: “Come Uncle Sam, don’t let us quarrel over that little Maine “Accident,” let us kiss and make up.”
Uncle Sam: “Well Senor, I just aint in the humor,
but if you’re so anxious to kiss, I reckon
you can kiss my ass.” [11480]
Reverse of previous card. It’s not recorded which
Union local gave it away. Three of the four cigars
mentioned were well known brands.
[11481]
Fact card regarding the Hoosac RR tunnel completed in 1875. The 3” x 5” card appears to date from the 1890’s as there’s no printer’s bug.
[11441]
Reverse of previous.
[11442]
This booklet 2.5” x 5” given by Local 107,
Erie, PA, has a 1901 and 1902 calendar.
[11446]
Seattle Union Local #188 gave out 3 7/8” x 4 3/4” cards listing 17 factories and retailers and their
brands of Union hand-made cigars.
[11492]
Tiny folding booklet contained a
Band-Aide© like adhesive for wounds.
[11493]
Postcards were popular Union give-aways for
two decades.
[11440]
Match cover from the early 1960s depicts
the last of the blue labels and announces
the new style printed-on-the-box Union bug.
[11437]
List of Union brands inside the match cover.
The short list is a good indicator of how
consolidated the U.S. cigar industry had become.
[11438]
Solicitation to a fancy dress masked ball a few days before Christmas, 1898, sponsored by the Louisville Kentucky Local No. 32. Cost was 25¢, ladies free.
[11482]
Guns, razors, knives and the “N-word” characterize this racist poem about a darkies’ rag-time ball, “you had to be a ragged coon to enter” found on the back of the 1898 Louisville, KY, dance invitation.
[11483]
40th annual prize masquerade ball of Chicago Local #14 was held in February, 1918, according to this 3.75” x 5” invitation to take part. “All profits to be used to purchase Union-Made Cigars for our fighting boys in the trenches.”
[11488]
Cash prize list for ladies’ and gent’s costumes.
Tickets were 50¢, with lots of chances to win prizes in categories including Best Blue Label costume, Best Label costume, and Best comical costume.
[11489]
A stock 3” x 5” “pretty girl” trade card has this poorly printed invitation to an 1885 soiree at the opera house, hosted by Baltimore Local 11. Price of 50¢ admits “a Gentleman and Ladies.” Bring one,
bring all. These guys were party animals!
[11491]
