Bidspirit auction | Two Seth Bullock Cigar Label

Two Seth Bullock Cigar Label Proofs from F.M. Howell & Co. Elmira NY - A pair of antique American paper ephemera items consisting of cigar label proofs featuring the portrait of Seth Bullock. The items were produced by F. M. Howell & Co., Elmira, NY, a prominent printer of tobacciana labels. The lot includes one larger rectangular proof sheet and one smaller die-cut cigar label, both utilizing chromolithography and gilded elements. The central image depicts Bullock in a broad-brimmed hat and military-style jacket, framed by ornate gold scrollwork, palm trees, and nautical scenes rendered primarily in red and pink. The larger proof sheet includes the printer’s imprint ”F. W. HUMMELL & CO., ELMIRA, N. Y.” and extensive handwritten notations in pencil and ink, including ”Standard Cigar Co. City Point Maine,” along with notes relating to a ”Short card” and smoking quality, indicating these are sample or proof materials used for client review. The smaller item is a finished die-cut cigar label following the same design.