Bull Durham Tobacco

Seeking a name for his manufactured smoking tobacco shortly after the Civil War [10], John R. Green of Durham [11] drew inspiration from a popular brand of mustard made in Durham, England, that featured the head of a Durham bull on its label. Green chose to use the image of a whole bull, and his trademark-soon the subject of extensive litigation to protect it-became one of the most recognizable product advertisements in the country. Green made William T. Blackwell [12]his partner in 1867, and when Green died two years later, Blackwell bought the entire business from the Green estate. Subsequently, with James R. Day and Julian S. Carr [13]as his partners, Blackwell led the William T. Blackwell Company to a dominant position in Durham's burgeoning tobacco industry. Bull Durham smoking tobacco was widely advertised and was one of the world's best-known American products of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The 1988 blockbuster film Bull Durham [14], starring Kevin Costner [15], Susan Sarandon [16], and Tim Robbins [17], brought national attention to both the famous tobacco moniker and the Durham Bulls [18], Durham's popular minor league baseball team.

Additional Resources:

Julian S. Carr NC Historical Marker: http://www.ncmarkers.com/Markers.aspx?ct=ddl&sp=search&k=Markers&sv=G-101%20-%20JULIAN%20S.%20CARR%201845-1924 [19]

Advertisement of Bull Durham, UNC Libraries:http://mainstreet.lib.unc.edu/projects/tobacco_durham/index.php/images/view/132 [20]