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California Mid Winter Fair Trophy Large Cabinet Card

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / World's Fair Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:100.00 - 200.00 USD
California Mid Winter Fair Trophy Large Cabinet Card
SOLD
55.00USDto C*****r+ buyer's premium (13.75)
This item SOLD at 2017 Dec 02 @ 09:12UTC-8 : PST/AKDT
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Large 9.75" x 8" cabinet card of the trophy from California Mid Winter Fair. Bottom corners of card (not the photo) are clipped. "Jewels and gold, rigged voting, and a mysterious theft surround Solano County's victory and the $5,000 gold cup won as first prize at the Mid-Winter Fair of 1894. $5,000 in 1894 dollars would be the equivalent of over $135,000 in today's dollars. Solano County was determined to win the grand prize for its agricultural exhibit. The local fruit looked wonderful, and the votes started rolling in. Alameda County was Solano's closest rival, with Sacramento County a distant third. As the votes were being counted in May, near the beginning of the fair, accusations about buying votes started to fly. By July, it appeared that votes were being bought for both Solano and Alameda Counties, and neither side seemed to have an advantage, so the final tally stood, and the cup was awarded to Solano County. Newspapers described the cup: "“The cup is of solid gold, embellished with precious stones. On the stem, in relief, are draped flags, the Bear Flag and the Stars and Stripes, their colors being brought out in enamel work. Above the flags and forming a band around the cup, are four medallions, showing the Fine Arts, Manufacture and Liberal Arts, Mechanic Arts, and the Agricultural and Horticultural Buildings. The four ornate arms, or handles, spring from a band bearing the inscription, ‘California Midwinter International Exposition.’ On the opposite side from the inscription of the purpose for which the trophy will be given is the Great Seal of the State of California. Above the goddess the motto ‘Eureka’ is set in diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires and the stars in the field above are formed of single diamonds. The cover is a half globe in two colors of gold, surmounted by a golden grizzly bear. The eyes of the bear, like the eyes of the bears’ heads on the central girdle, are flashing rubies. On August 25, there was a giant party in Suisun when the cup was presented to the county. There was a parade where Solano County made fun of Alameda County by having a float labeled Alameda that was a falling apart wagon pulled by a bony horse and a mule with exceptionally long ears. After an argument about where in the county the cup should be displayed, it was finally decided that it should be displayed in a glass case in the Ferry Building in San Francisco in a trade exhibit. In 1910, the cup was stolen from the glass case, and has never been seen again. There is speculation that the gems were pried out of the cup and the cup was then melted down into unidentifiable gold." from www.travisusd.org.
Date: Location: California HWAC # 53640