Rip Van Winkle: Piedmont Series
Circa 1910 The American Tobacco Company, owners of the Piedmont brand of cigarettes, issued a series of 10 full-color cards depicting various scenes from the Rip Van Winkle tale. The rare cards each measure 5 inches by 8 inches. For each card, the “chapter” number can be seen in the lower left corner, while in the upper left-hand corner is an image of a pack of Piedmont cigarettes. The reverse side of each card contains a brief “chapter” of text from the legendary story.
The Piedmont cigarette brand was established by The American Tobacco Company under the Liggett & Myers (L & M) name. Piedmont, advertising itself with the slogan of “cigarettes of quality,” was once a dominant tobacco brand in the south. The American Tobacco Company (ATC), an original member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, was broken up for operating as a monopoly in 1911 by an anti-trust action from the United States government. The ATC was divided up into four companies, after which Piedmont cigarettes continued to be manufactured by Liggett & Myers well into the 20th century.
Complete Set of 10 Cards
Chapter 1 – The Catskill Mountains
Rip Van Winkle, Piedmont Series, Chapter 1, The Catskill Mountains
Chapter 2 – Rip’s Home Life
Rip Van Winkle, Piedmont Series, Chapter 2, Rip's Home Life
Chapter 3 – Rip at the Old Inn
Rip Van Winkle, Piedmont Series, Chapter 3, Rip at the Old Inn
Chapter 4 – Rip Leaving Home
Rip Van Winkle, Piedmont Series, Chapter 4, Rip Leaving Home
Chapter 5 – Rip Meets a Gnome
Rip Van Winkle, Piedmont Series, Chapter 5, Rip Meets a Gnome
Chapter 6 – Rip Among the Gnomes
Rip Van Winkle, Piedmont Series, Chapter 6, Rip Among the Gnomes
Chapter 7 – Rip Falls Asleep
Rip Van Winkle, Piedmont Series, Chapter 7, Rip Falls Asleep
Chapter 8 – Rip Wakes Up
Rip Van Winkle, Piedmont Series, Chapter 8, Rip Wakes Up
Chapter 9 – Rip’s Return to the Village
Rip Van Winkle, Piedmont Series, Chapter 9, Rip's Return to the Village
Chapter 10 – Rip Finds His Son and Daughter
Rip Van Winkle, Piedmont Series, Chapter 10, Rip Finds His Son and Daughter
