Albersheim's 2014 Winter Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/20/2014
The 1953 NBA All-Star Game was played on January 13, 1953 at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, home of the Fort Wayne Pistons in front of a crowd of 10,322 people. This was the third All-Star Game in league history and saw the Western All-Stars defeat the Eastern All-Stars, 79–75. It was the West's first-ever win. Minneapolis Lakers star George Mikan, who led the West with 22 points and 16 rebounds, was named as the Most Valuable Player. What made this game unique was the first appearance of an African-American ballplayer, Don Barksdale. To honor each player’s participation in this event, the league gave each player and coach this very special humidor. You must remember that in the early 50’s, many professional athletes were actually celebrity endorsers for big tobacco.
The brass, two-piece decorative lid has been engraved “January 13, 1953…Fort Wayne, Ind.” The urn is felt-bottomed where we also find the maker’s identity, “L. E. Mason…Boston.” Mounted inside the lid, as to be expected, is the actual humidifying organ, a Spanish cedar element. The approximate dimensions are 5.25 x 4.5 inches.
Less than a handful of these historic pieces have ever been offered for sale. Note - the article about the game shown below is from the Weds, Jan 14, 1953 edition of the Tipton Tribune.