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One point I am looking for is a pre 1911 time frame. I am fairly certain that the Anona is a 1895 to 1910 chip. The inlays in many Anonas appear to be starting to lift. This did not occur in c&s made in the 1911-1940s time period. The reason for the lifing inlay is that the manufacturer (USPC?) used dissimilar materials to make the inlay sandwich. After 1910 the inlay was made from 2 layers of the same material -- cellulous nitrate. I believe that a paper material covered by cellulous nitrate was used in the pre 1911 chips. This helps explain the extraordinar color and detail in these earlier chips. Over time as the inlays dried out the pressure exerted by the celluloid (cellulous nitrate) on the made underlayer would cause it to warp (or lift)
Here is the info I received from Dean (Mr. Attributor). Is this great information or what!!
Anona, as an Indian maiden, (like on the chip) was an invention of Mabel McKinley, niece of President William McKinley. While her uncle was President, Mabel visited a native American settlement in the Arizona Territory and was inspired to write a song about a "pretty little Arizona indian maiden", a "sweet Anona in Arizona" (an anona is a fruit found in the southwest). Less than two years after her uncle was assassinated a NYC agent offered Mabel a 25 week/$25,000 contract to sing on the vaudeville stage around the country. Mabel debuted in San Francisco in June 1903 and became that era's version of a pop star, while her song "Anona" became a major hit nationwide.
Cigar manufacturers and distributors at that time would occasionally create cigar brands named after famous or popular people to help sell cigars. My guess is that the Anona cigar was made to latch on to the bandwagon of the enormous popularity of the song (I've found no evidence of a company named Anona Cigar).
One cigar company that may have produced the Anona cigar is Y. Pendas and Alvarez, which had an office and salesroom in NYC (209 Pearl) and a manufacturing plant in Tampa, Florida in the early 1900's. Y. Pendas and Alvarez were major league cigar manufacturers and distributors (exclusively clear Havana cigars). Ysidro Pendas, the founder, died in Brooklyn in 1902 (22 Brevoort Place). The reason I think Y. Pendas and Alvarez may have made the Anona cigar is that Ysidro, Sr. had a son named Ysidro, Jr. who, as early as 1906, had a 40 foot boat registered with the Crescent Athletic Club of Brooklyn which was named "Anona." Also, there may have been some connection between Pendas, who had close ties with Cuba, and the McKinley's--William was President during the (Cuban)-Spanish-American War and was supposedly something of a cigar fanatic (but this is pure speculation).
The photo (below) of Mabel was pasted next to Anona--there's an uncanny resemblence between the two, almost as if someone took Mabel's picture and painted her into an indian. Theeris also an advertisement from the NY Evening World from Oct.1903.
Since the cigar company was located in New York, the Anona Cigar chip will be attributed to New York.
Do all agree? (I've already passed it by Kenny and Allan)
I love getting an attribution. A nice crest & seal (maybe an Anona) goes out as a reward.
If anyone can attribute any of my unknowns, a reward awaits.
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