Historical Hockey Memorabilia Spring 2012
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/12/2012
A sensationally remarkable find is this bundle of ancient sticks from the days of ice polo and which have gone virtually untouched for over 100 years! They've been in our consignor's possession since the mid-1980s when they were discovered in the attic of a warehouse in Trenton, New Jersey which was being converted to condominiums. Gotta love condos, eh?! Miraculously, the original packing slip, a 2-1/2" by close to 5" thin canvas-like affair and included in this thought-provoking lot, was attached to the bundle of six dozen sticks, still held together by nailed pieces of wood around it! The big tag indicates that the sticks were made by Tory Bros. of Central Village, Conn. and that they were shipped to the address of the Seigle Brothers' warehouse, owned by a popular Trenton family who operated wholesale and retail businesses. Tory Bros. meanwhile, operated a woodworking shop in Central Village from the late 1860s, producing a wide variety of wood products including polo sticks, hockey sticks, (both mentioned on the packing slip), and other toys, sports and utilitarian items. The firm also had a significant place in Connecticut history as movers and shakers. As for the sticks offered here, their shafts measure approximately 32 inches long before curving into the blade region. We spot half a dozen in the top row which exhibit cracks/chipping in the blade and a couple similar underneath, but otherwise, these babies are near perfect specimens. One loose stick, measuring about three inches longer than those in the bundle but also found at the same site, brings the museum-worthy total to 73! Good luck with this truly rare and surely unique ensemble with fabulous provenance.
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