Native American Artifacts & Hot Wheels
Lot 288:
Early 20th Century Black Americana Cast Iron Post Top Cigar Lighter
Early 20th Century Black Americana Cast Iron Post Top Cigar Lighter. This is a very rare piece of collectible Black Americana Memorabilia. There were a variety of lighters that often featured stereotypical and caricatured depictions of African Americans, reflecting the racial attitudes and prejudices of the time. Despite their controversial nature, they are collected today as historical artifacts that provide insight into past societal norms and the evolution of racial representation in popular culture. There are a couple of lighters shown in web history like this one. We tried to dig deeper to learn as much about this type of lighter as we could. Info on the web suggests it is 19th to early 20th century. However it is marked 220 V on the back with other markings "Germany, 12 and OSJ". We couldn’t positively identify the lighter manufacturer. 220 volt has been used in Germany since the early 20th Century. It was not mainstream in the US until the 1950’s. An interesting and very rare collector lighter. At one time this plugged in to an outlet and had functioning mechanics. This piece measures 5 1/4" and weighs 2 pounds.
Condition: Ancient Authentic
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