THE CLEVELANDS, GROVER AND FRANCES
ca. 1886---1889
President Grover Cleveland married Frances Folson during his first term of office. This union produced Baby Ruth, who had a candy bar named after her, and the attractive Richmond Straight Cut advertising pictured below. This card features the Clevelands in woven silk, and the silk premiums that were issued during the late 1880's are rare. The silk of the president has colorful flags that are stitched, and these beautiful silks are even harder for collectors to find. After the turn of the 20th Century, silk or satin premiums that had a picture printed directly on the material were common. Silks that were stitched were more expensive to produce, and consequently few sets were issued. As far as I know, the weavers who created these wonderful silks are unknown. President Grover Cleveland didn't smoke, but he did chew tobacco. It was First Lady Frances Cleveland who provided cigarettes to both the men and women who were White House guests.
A special thank you to the Henry Moses 19th Century Tobacco Collection for sharing this wonderful Richmond Straight Cut card. I also want to thank tobacco historian Joe Parker for sharing his information about Mrs. Cleveland.
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*NOTE* All images are copyright by James A. Shaw. Reproduction of any kind is strictly prohibited without prior express written consent...