This sale is for an absolutely fantastic vintage advertising piece that I believe warrants professional restoration!
The item is an antique cardboard sign measuring 15 1/2 \" X 8\" X 1/8\" to 3/16\" put out by W. Duke, Sons & Co., Durham, N.C. featuring a beautiful young woman seated on a fainting couch. On the reverse side is a lengthy letter entitled TO OUR PATRONS detailing the brief history of the company, from their start in 1881 to a few years later when they had become one of the major tobacco producers in the world.
Note: This was one of six in a series of Photo Artotypes that could be purchased for .50 cents each or if all six were ordered at one time for $2.50. (lot of money at the time, but that shows how classy these pictures (signs) were)
The sign has a number of issues including the following:
The top has been cut off at an angle so the sign is 15\" tall on the left side & 15 1/2\" on the right sideThe picture side is dirty & needs to be cleaned (remember, this sign is estimated to be 115 - 130 years old)There are some (10+) nail holesThere are a number of nicks & gouges on the picture sideThere is a round white spot about the size of a penny in the upper left hand cornerThere is some scraping on the back side, obliterating some of the printingThe sign is slightly bent or warped (the length) so it does not lay flat (I tried putting books on it for a long time to no avail)
In spite of all the issues it still looks good. It would look fantastic in just about any home when repaired & framed. It has been in my collection for a number of years and unfortunately it has been on the back burner on the \"To Do List\". Don\'t let the negatives scare you away. Are you the person who will take this project on?
Please email me if you have any questions or would like to see more pictures.

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