College Class Pipes: Difference between revisions

[[File:1915-CornellUniversityStudentPaperPipeShopAd.jpg|thumb|1915 Cornell University Student Paper Pipe Shop Ad, courtesy Brian Robertson]][[File:LLStoddardAd.jpg|thumb|LL Stoddard Class Pipe ad, courtesy Brian Robertson]][[File:NewHavenDrugAd.jpg|thumb|New Haven Drug store ad, courtesy Brian Robertson]][[File:REJollyAd.jpg|thumb|RE Jolly ad, courtesy Brian Robertson]][[File:StrandAd.jpg|thumb|Strand Class Pipe Ad, courtesy Brian Robertson]][[File:WhatJoeAd.jpg|thumb|Class Pipe Ad, courtesy Brian Robertson]][[File:DurhamAd.jpg|thumb|Class Pipe Ad, courtesy Brian Robertson]][[File:1933ColumbiaUniversityNewspaperAd.jpg|thumb|1933 Columbia University Student Newspaper Ad including options and prices for lettering, numerals, and pipe brands, courtesy Brian Robertson]][[File:1937PrincetonStudentNewspaperPrinceAlbertAd.jpg|thumb|1937 Princeton Student Newspaper Price Albert Ad, with a Class Pipe reference, courtesy Brian Robertson]]There are several clues that can be used to provide a degree of provenance in matching a class pipe with its corresponding college or university.  An excellent method of determining a class pipe’s identity is researching college and university student newspapers.  Many of the eastern college student newspapers have archives that can be viewed.  For instance, if you have a pipe emblazoned with a '''"C"''' and a year, and you guess that it is a "Cornell" pipe, upon visiting newspaper archive you can search "class pipe (plus the year") or "class pipe committee (plus the year) ".  The result in some cases will be an article actually describing the design of the chosen silver letters, and numerals.  The article may even declare the brand of pipe, and its corresponding shape (straight or bent). This method is not always fruitful and oftentimes requires slogging through a long list of articles.  It is heaven for the research geek.  When I purchase a pipe at an estate sale, I simply ask to whom the pipe belongs.  Usually I am told that it was their father's or grandfather's.  I then ask, "did he go  to college and which one?"  I learned the hard way, you ask these questions after you have paid, and the pipe is in your pocket.  Another clue is the source of the pipe. The Owl Shop has supplied, almost exclusively, the "Yale" pipes. The 1917 Brown University pipe was branded by a tobacconist that was practically on the campus.  With others, a lucky google search of the tobacconist name on the pipes will sometimes turn up the store's location.