The New England poets dominated during that period, but Twain holds his own
against other popular authors of his day. He was included in several British
and American tobacco insert card series, and in two major stock trade card
series that featured various authors and famous personalities besides Twain.
He was included in more than two dozen versions of the Game of Authors card
game, and was featured (like Dickens and Shakespeare) on the box lid in
several versions. A dozen different cigar companies used his image on their
box labels and in their advertising. During his lifetime his name and/or
image was used to promote or sell fruit and other foods, vacation resorts,
dry goods, barber shops, horses available for stud, pens, the PTA, patent
medicine, booze, coal, etc., etc. His name and books also inspired various
games for children. I have an extensive collection of the ephemera using his
name and image both during his lifetime and after, all of the card games,
cigar boxes, dozens of trade cards, large advertising signs, and the various
board games based on his works. I'm in the middle of writing a lengthy
article on this topic so I can't share the fruits of my labor in more
detail.
You see a lot of Oscar Wilde advertising generated by his visit to America,
but his light burned bright and brief. You see a lot of dead authors like
Shakespeare and Dickens because their writings were either in the public
domain and/or the unauthorized use of their image could not be easily
controlled. I think Twain had his name trademarked by the early 1880s (does
somebody have the exact date handy?) but that did not slow the unauthorized
use of his name and image. Things improved somewhat after 1908 when the Mark
Twain Company was formed.
Kevin
@
Mac Donnell Rare Books
9307 Glenlake Drive
Austin TX 78730
512-345-4139
Member: ABAA, ILAB
*************************
You may browse our books at
www.macdonnellrarebooks.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kit Barry" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 12:12 PM
Subject: Mark Twain in advertising -
> =46rom the mid-1870's through the 1890's the advertising trade card was =
> a major format in
> advertising products of the time. All manner of subjects and images were =
> used on trade
> cards. Authors were one of the subjects used. By 1900, the trade card =
> was obsolete.
>
> In trade cards, the writers most commonly referenced were Longfellow, =
> Dickens,=20
> Shakespeare, and Wilde. These references were made through quotes from=20=
>
> their works, sometimes including attendant images. Sometimes the author
> reference would be just a picture of the writer with birth / death =
> notes.
>
> There is a conspicuous lack of Twain presence in this format of =
> advertising. I would=20
> expect to see more examples of Twain appearing in advertising trade =
> cards. Can=20
> anyone give me some specific explanations for this absence of Twain's =
> presence
> in 19th century advertising.
>
> Kit Barry
> The Ephemera Archive for American Studies
> Brattleboro, Vermont=
>
>
>
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