Extremely Rare 1928 Paul Waner Lucky Strike Cigarettes Large Advertising Banner
Among the great rarities in the category of pre-war sports advertising is the sparsely issued set of five 1928 Lucky Strike large-format baseball banners. Clearly intended for outdoor display, and therefore extremely susceptible to damage caused by the elements, a mere handful of these displays exist today in any reasonable condition. Measuring over 5 feet wide by nearly 2-1/2 feet tall, the offered example features Pittsburgh Pirates great Paul Waner. The subheading, "Voted National League Most Valuable Player" assures us of the banners 1928 production. Waner’s 1927 stat line, which included a league best .380 average and circuit leading totals in Hits (237), Triples (18), RBI (131) and Total Bases (342) propelled the Pirates to the World Series. Though his team was unceremoniously dispatched by the Yankees in the Fall Classic, Waner was voted as the NL MVP. The piece retains outstanding original color, from the vibrant yellow background to the bright red circular "Lucky Strike" logo, to the rich lithographic tones of Waner's likeness. The piece has been mounted on linen and only a moderate degree of professional restoration has been performed to mask areas of surface wear and some small scattered holes. No significant inpainting has been performed to any singular area, rather relatively small enhancements have been made throughout. The moderate degree of restoration and the professional quality of that work affords the piece a fairly natural appearance at the VG-EX to EX level. We are thrilled to present this extraordinary hobby find which has never before been presented publicly.
