UNIQUE & FASCINATING PAIR OF 1901 PAN AM EXPO ITEMS #S108

$135.00
UNIQUE & FASCINATING PAIR OF 1901 PAN AM EXPO ITEMS #S108

Souvenirs from world's fairs certainly run the gamut from simple little giveaways to elaborate (and expensive) gifts. This one is one of those rather unusual advertising promotional piees. From the Phillipino (that's how they spelled it at the fair) Village, here is a genuine sample of hemp. I suspect it was being shown as a fine piece of rope and not something to be smoked, but I've learned that nothing is out of the question when studying the history of world's fairs.

A very nice added touch is the business card from Pony Moore, the manager of the concession, which interestingly spells his Pan Am village as "Filipino."

There is a pencil scribble on the back that appears to say "4" and indicates it was possibly presented to the fairgoer as a pass for 4 people to come back to visit the village at no cost. But I'm only speculating and it was a custom at early fairs to find cards such as this with notations that the giving of the business card was to substitute for a pass to visit the exhibit/village another time

A very nice pair of items and I think it's fair to say a "unique" souvenir.

If you are a very serious Pan Am collector this is one (well, I guess two) items that are truly one-of-a-kind and the personal card makes it dramatically rarer as well.
For example, some years ago I had a collection of business cards of dignitaries, board members, exhibitors and others from the World's Columbian Exposition and they sold instantly and (since they were auctioned) at prices that were dramatically raised repeatedly by several WCE collectors. How often do you have the chance to acquire a director or a manager such as Pony Moore's business card--what a great addition in itself for a collector.

The price here is of course for the tag, hemp and business card all as one lot.