One tin, many stories...

{HISTORY}

Started by Ukranian immigrant Sam Paley in 1896, La Palina was a brand of cigars manufactured by the Congress Cigar Company first located in Chicago, IL and then in Philadelphia, PA.  From the beginning, it was a family affair.  It was Sam's wife, Goldie, whose portrait appears in the La Palina imagery and it was his son, William S. Paley who continued to be involved with the company in the 1920s, while also developing his own enterprise, the budding CBS Radio network which Sam also invested in. 

Making and selling over a million cigars per day by the mid-1920s, La Palina was known for its quality craftsmanship and engaging advertising, much of which was done on air with CBS Radio. 

Originally containing ten small cigars, this pocket tin was made between 1910-1926 and features Goldie's colorful portrait along with all the required cigar factory notifications and pricing information. Beautifully aged with just the right amount of authentic wear and tear, this tin now serves as a lovely storage box for all sorts of kitchen, pantry and bar cart odds and ends. 

Around here, we love to use vintage and antique tins as holders for cheese knives and picks, recipe cards, cocktail charms, birthday candles, spare change, old photographs, hardware bits and bobs, and any pieces of paper ephemera that hold a special memory of a grand time and a thoughtful moment. 

Interestingly, that portrait of Goldie on the cigar tin would one day hold inspiration for the lady herself.  Goldie went on to become a painter in her senior years and held gallery shows in New York, Philadelphia and Palm Beach into her 90s. It's just one more fun fact among several others that goes to show how one small tin can hold many stories! 

Photograph of Goldie Paley courtesy of the Courier-Journal, 1969

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• Hinged lid
• Lovely graphics
• Colors include red, teal, black, espresso, gold and dark almond

{CONDITION}

In lovely antique condition, this tin contains all the wonderfully worn aesthetic that one might expect from a one-hundred-year-old tin. Scuffs, scratches, and chippy paint loss add a weathered patina that is full of character. Goldie's portrait is in great, colorful shape, The interior is clean but does contain a fair amount of rust marks as expected. The lid closes and opens easily and fits securely to the base of the tin. Please see photos.

{SIZE}

Measures 5" inches (length) x 3.5" inches (width) x 1.25" inches (height) and weighs 4 oz.