California Maid Cigar Box

I found a treasure.  On Saturday, we traveled across the Bay to attend the Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire, which is held the first Sunday of every month on the old Navy base.

The faire is row after row of nostalgia.  I went there looking for an old surf board to hang as a wall decoration.  No luck.  But sitting on one of the thousands of folding tables, mixed in with old tools, bottles, magazines, and door knobs was this box.  I was intrigued, so I reached over, picked it up, and opened it.

 

No way, I said to myself, and then began looking more carefully.

 

To my great surprise, I found the original plate that was made to make the stamp on the box.  And I found a proof of said plate printed in blue on some old, old paper.  Then I noticed the address - Jesse J. Alexander, in San Francisco.  Specifically at 6253 Geary Street, which is right down the street from where I live.

But there was one more thing that just blew me away:

 

Who is this woman??  How cool is this - a bit of old history just sitting there.  The guy who had it for sale came over and asked "So young man, are you interested in it?"  Young man.  Loved that.  And I said in my my best understated tone "Yeah, this is interesting.  How much?" And he said "20 bucks", which was in his hand before the s was finished out of his mouth.

Once the deal was done, I told him I was a printer, that I lived just down the street from the address on the box, and that I was really happy I found this.  He seemed pretty chuffed, too.

I came home and did some Googling, and while the address is still on Geary (it is the Mayflower Restaurant, oddly the first restaurant I ever went to when I moved to SF in 1997), but there is no mention at all about "California Maid" cigars.  Nothing.  It is like it never existed, but I just know there is someone out there who has a story.

Let me know if you know anything about this brand, and for your trouble I will send you a print of the block I found in this little treasure chest.

 

 

 
 

 

Comments

[Acid Cigars]

This is a really nice cigar box you have there! It is cool and somewhat classy and mysterious at the same time.

[viagra online]

interesting that treasure is not any person is an old how are you its value must be very high but for being an old treasure

[Eric Rewitzer]

Hey everyone. Thanks for all the feedback and interest in this post. I am going to print these up in the next week or so. Stay tuned!

[Jackpolar]

I would love to get my hands on something like that. My grandfather had a great collection of cigar boxes that he gave to my brother! :(

-VK
http://www.vaporking510.com

[Matt Larkham]

http://www.outsidelands.org/banner-12-5-1930.php

The above link is reference to a search I performed on Google, it led me to excerpts from a newspaper from 1930 'The Richmond Banner' at the bottom of the page it lists donations for christmas lights from local merchants and property owners and it lists Jesse J Alexander at 6253 Geary Street ( Twenty Fith to Twenty Sixth Ave's ) as donating $5 which is from that time pretty generous! Perhaps the business at that time was a tobacconist? I couldn't find any other information unfortunately.
BTW I live in Bristol, England and I would absolutely LOVE a print from your California Maid block to frame at home, I find this story fascinating and I am a lover of all historical artifacts, especially random gems like this..is there anyway at all that I could purchase a print from you? My e-mail address is mattlarkham466@hotmail.com. I hope to hear from you! Many thanks and good luck with the search!

[Carol Klacik]

I love finds like you made and the research involved in researching them. You've probably seen this link come up on Google? Jesse J. Alexander listed as one of the businesses donating for a Christmas lights record:
http://www.outsidelands.org/banner-12-5-1930.php

The original article might be fun to see, as this appears to be an excerpt. Genealogy records would be a good resource for more info or SF Historical Society.

[Darius]

It's like fate brought you to it. So damn cool! Perhaps it was a prototype that never got off the ground, or someone took a class and that was their project...hmmm sound familiar? :)
It's just great that you have it!

Look on CL for a free surfboard. There has to be something out there.

[John Tebeau]

Score! Eric, that is TNT. I assume you've checked with the SF Historical Society? http://www.sfhistory.org/

The library would be a good reference, too, of course. Once I was researching my family name in Muskegon's Hackley Library, and a random white-bearded 'brary-fly gave me a 10-minute lesson in Tebeaulogy, all the way back to 17th century France.

[David Rossiter]

Very, Very cool and mysterious

[Elizabeth]

SO COOL

[@my]

That is amazing. How happy to know it's in your hands now. ;)