Austen’s Forest Flower Cologne Trade Card

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Annieoakley

Someone had evidently cropped and saved this trade card just for the charming girl in the straw hat drawing. At the time of posting this entry, the whole card comes up for sale on eBay, and that one shows that above the drawing are the words “Perfumed With Austens” and below the drawing “Forest Flower Cologne.” The address on the back of the card shows up under a list of druggists on a website regarding old bottles (cool site.) The address is for W. F. Phillips & Company, wholesale druggist….And what an intriguing name for a perfume, “Austen’s Forest Flower Cologne.” This cologne was manufactured by W. J. Austen & Company, of Oswego, New York, and as evidenced above, was advertised as “The Most Fashionable Perfume of the Day.” (Some cards show “The Most Fashionable and Lasting Perfume of the Day.”) The word and symbol for “Forest Flower” was registered by W. J. Austen in September of 1878, according to an entry in “New Remedies, An Illustrated Monthly Trade Journal,” a publication of the day for American druggists.

Sources: http://www.bottlebooks.com/Wholesale%20Druggists/WD%20P.html

http://books.google.com. New Remedies, An Illustrated Monthly Trade Journal of Materia Medica, Pharmacy and Therapeutics. Vol. 7, page 370. Fred’k A. Castle, M.D., Editor and Charles Rice, Associate Editor. William Wood & Company, Publishers, New York 1878.

Columba Margerine Trade Card

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Annieoakley

Belgian Dutch trade card advertising Columba margerine. Columba vervangt boter translates as “Columba replaces butter.” Front shows a drawing with a caption in french, “Chasseur de la Garde-Grenadier Napoléon, 1810.” The term chasseur translates as “hunter” and grenadier refers to a type of soldier in Napoléon’s Grand Army, originally specialized in throwing grenades. There were various sections (divisions?) in Napoleon’s army and changes occurred in the terms used for the soldiers; it’s very possible that the French phrase on the card may refer to two types of soldiers rather than one. Of course, this rendering is obviously a “cute” version of a few of these soldiers, and probably not meant to be 100% historically accurate.

The back of the card translates loosely as: “Margerine Factory. Ch. Vanden Bussche. Merxem-Antwerpen. Requests in all Grocery-shops. Columba replaces cream butter for all use. Zoo healthy and nutritious as cream butter. 50 per 0/0 better buy than cream butter. Replaces butter.”

Merxem is a district in the city of Antwerp, in the Flemish region of Belgium.

Price: $5.00

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenadier

http://theminiaturespage.com/news/943139/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merksem

B. J. Stone Trade Card, New Haven, CT

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Annieoakley

Trade card, circa 1882 – 1883. Printed by Donaldson Bros., Five Points, New York.

Price: $10.00 Size: About 4 and 1/2 x 3″

“Celluloid Waterproof Collars, Cuffs and Shirt Bosoms for sale by B. J. Stone, 352 Chapel cor. of Church St., New Haven, Conn.” B. J. Stone appears in New Haven city directories, under the heading of “Gents’ Furnishings Goods” and “Shirt Manufacturers.” The 1882 city directory, in particular, has an ad showing “B. J. Stone (successor to Smith & Stone) Men’s Fine Furnishings, 352 Chapel St., cor. Church, New Haven, Ct., Shirts made to Order a Specialty” This card is probably from around 1882 or ’83 as some of the other city directories (1884 – ’86) show 870 Chapel as the address. Notice how the canopy of the umbrella and soles of the girl’s shoes are a shirt collar and cuffs – waterproof!

The 1880 U.S. Federal Census for New Haven shows that B. J. is Benjamin J. Stone, born about 1839 in Connecticut, and shows him on this census living with his parents, Benjamin W. Stone, and Elizabeth J. Also in the household is brother George, his wife Mary, and their son George.

Sources: New Haven, Connecticut city directories, for years 1882 – 1886 (1821 – 1989 U.S. City Directories, Ancestry.com)

1880 United States Federal Census for New Haven, Connecticut (Ancestry.com)

Academy of Music Chicago Trade Card

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Annieoakley

A charming drawing of a rosy-cheeked girl wearing what seems to be a handkerchief for a head-covering. Published by the Sunshine Publishing Company of Philadelphia. The flip side shows that this is sort of a playbill type of trade card for the play “Garry Owen” starring the “Famous Irish-American comedian and vocalist Barry Conlan as Shaun O’Reilly.” According to The New York Clipper Annual, this play, also called “Labor, Land and Liberty,” first appeared at the Academy of Music, Chicago in May 1883. The Academy of Music was leased by Daniel Shelby in about 1881, according to The History of Chicago, Volume 3, but Shelby is listed on the card as sole proprietor, so possibly meaning it was just the building that was leased, and he was sole proprietor of the production company. Daniel Shelby (Daniel is written as “Dan’l” on this trade card and also in the History of Chicago book) had a long and varied career in the entertainment business as singer, actor, circus clown and tumbler, manager and proprietor. Born Daniel Macher January 11, 1838 in Gettysburg, PA, Daniel moved with his family, before his first birthday, to Dayton, OH. At age fourteen, he was already popular with the locals as a balladist. When a traveling minstrel show (Sam Wells’ minstrels) came to town he got his shot on a professional stage and promptly joined up with that company.

Marriage, etc: Daniel was married twice. His first marriage shows him as Daniel J. Macher, marrying Agnes Blanche Cartland, March 12, 1874 in Buffalo, NY. They had one son, Roy Daniel, born April 2, 1876, who sadly, died young, July 4, 1881 in Chicago, at the age of five. The 1880 Federal census for Buffalo, NY shows the family under the last name of Shelby, so it seems that Dan changed his last name sometime after his marriage to Agnes in 1871 and before the 1880 census. His occupation is listed there as “theatrical manager.” Daniel Shelby married Nellie Hatfield Pennock of Altoona, PA on March 23, 1882. Nellie was an opera singer and prima donna, and went by the stage name of Helen Rainsley. Nellie and Dan had two children, Daniel, born January 9, 1883 in Chicago, and Medinah Temple (named after the lodge that Dan was a long standing member of) born in New York, January 5, 1894. The 1900 federal census for New York City, shows Nellie as widow, head of household. Daniel Shelby died of a heart attack in 1895. Nellie then married Edwin Lee Merwin, and they moved to California, where she went under the first name of Helen.

Son, Daniel died October 1, 1922 in San Francisco. According to the funeral record, he was single, occupation stock manager, at the National Ice Cream Co. (of San Francisco) Daniel had taken his stepfather’s last name of Merwin, so the funeral record shows his name as Daniel S. Merwin. (S. for Shelby). Daniel S. Merwin’s residence at time of death was 2063 Larkin St., San Francisco. Attached to the funeral record is a small obit which must have been taken from a newspaper. It shows Daniel as beloved son of Mrs. E. L. Merwin, and brother of Mrs. F. D. McCrimmon. A San Francisco city directory for 1924 shows Frederick D. McCrimmon, salesman, wife Medinah, residence 2285 Broadway. The McCrimmons had been living at 1815 Broadway at the time of Daniel S. Merwin’s death.

Daughter, Medinah married Frederick D. McCrimmon and had lived in San Francisco, but she had married a second time to a George R. Gallagher, and at the time of her death in Los Angeles, March 8, 1951 was listed as Jean Shelby Gallagher.

Much of the information on this post has come to me from Angie Hoskins, who contacted me after finding this website. (Thanks ever so much, Angie!) Angie has done extensive research, the Dan Shelby family being on her family tree. In addition to the invaluable information, she has also provided wonderful tidbits such as, Daniel Shelby did a Shakespearean clown and a clown that was half-man, half-woman, and was very, very funny. Nellie had a beautiful singing voice. Dan changed his name from Macher to Shelby so it would sound better on posters, having been at that time part-owner of the Shelby, Pullman and Hamilton Circus. When Dan died, Nellie was a prima donna and singer with the Robin Hood Company of Canada, but living in New York. Daniel’s first wife, Agnes Blanche Cartland died in England. It is unknown whether she remarried.

Back to the subject of the trade card and regarding the term “olio” on the back of the card; some definitions for olio are: A mixture; a medley; a heavily spiced stew; a collection of various musical, theatrical or artistic works. This was good advertising here on this card, I think. One wonders what was the brilliant olio and how exactly was it going to “serenely bob up” ?

Trade card, circa 1881. Size: About 4 and 1/4 x 2 and 7/8″

Price: $20.00

Sources: The New York Clipper Annual, Containing Theatre and Sporting Chronologies…And Best Performances in All Departments of Sport. Published by Frank Queen at the office of The New York Clipper, 88 and 90 Centre Street, New York. Page 3 for year 1883. (Google eBook showing Stanford University Library collection of various years for this publication)

History of Chicago, Volume 3 by Alfred Theodore Andreas. A.T. Andreas Company, Publishers, Chicago, 1886. Page 664. (Google eBook)

“New York, Marriages, 1686-1980,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F6SY-KH7 : accessed 20 Aug 2013), Daniel J. Macher and Agnes Blanche Cartland, 12 Mar 1874.

Year: 1880; Census Place: Buffalo, Erie, New York; Roll: 828; Family History Film: 1254828; Page: 137A; Enumeration District: 123; Image: 0629. Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line].

“Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878-1922,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NQ5P-HV3 : accessed 20 Aug 2013), Daniel Shelby, 09 Jan 1883.

“New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FDRM-82V : accessed 20 Aug 2013), Nellie H. Pennock Shelby in entry for Medinah Temple Shelby, 05 Jan 1894.

Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Manhattan, New York, New York; Roll: 1113; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 0722; FHL microfilm: 1241113. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

Find A Grave Memorial# 54880585 (www.findagrave.com)

Find A Grave Memorial# 54759640 (www.findagrave.com)

California, San Francisco Area Funeral Home Records, 1895-1985 (Ancestry.com)

U. S. City Directories, 1921-1989, San Francisco 1924 (Ancestry.com)

California, Death Index, 1940-1997 (Ancestry.com)

Foster’s Molasses Candy Trade Card

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Annieoakley

Victorian Era trade card

Price: $15.00 Size: 2 and 5/8 x 4 and 1/16″

Foster’s Un-X-Ld Old Fashioned Molasses Candy. Made Daily at 244 Essex St., Salem, Mass. Nothing has been found online so far regarding this company. Perhaps a Salem, Mass library has information. The subject matter is a little unusual, I think: A compact beautiful little lady kissing a doll. Due to the size of the flowers she wears, and the leaves at the bottom of her dress, it’s possible that she is supposed to be a flower fairy. But whatever the artist had in mind, this is a really cool trade card. The term “un-x-ld” stands for unexcelled, as in none better!

Gilmore Blu-Green Gasoline Trade Card

Posted on July 27, 2013 by Annieoakley

Not being raised on the West Coast, and not being a collector of petroliana, I had never heard of Gilmore Oil until researching this trade card, (or possibly had but hadn’t payed enough attention) but have since discovered a lot of fascinating information. I am just including some things here that I’ve learned from other websites, to go along with this trade card post. The Gilmore Oil Company was based out of Los Angeles, California, and started by Arthur Fremont Gilmore. A.F. Gilmore owned and operated a 256-acre farm, near the La Brea Tar Pits and found oil (that makes sense) while drilling for more water for his dairy herd. A.F.’s son, E.B. (Earl Bell) joined his father, and became chief executive of the company, and a master at promoting and marketing. The company, among other things, sponsored race cars, airplanes, boats, motorcycles, had it’s own sort of traveling circus, a radio show, and a lion cub mascot named “Gilmore” who flew thousands of miles as “co-pilot” in a company plane. The pilot was Roscoe Turner (lots already written about Roscoe and Gilmore, the cub. See below for sources.) And Gilmore Oil was highly successful. According to the Farmer’s Market website (www.farmersmarketla.org) ” A.F. Gilmore and his son, Earl Bell (E.B.) turned their Gilmore Oil Company into the largest distributor of petroleum products in the Western U.S.” Why does a farmer’s market website have facts about an oil company? Because the Gilmore land that was once dairy farm, then oil field, eventually became the site of a farmer’s market, and that is another whole story.

More interesting stuff: Gilmore the cub logged over 25,000 air miles, and is said to have been the inspiration for MGM’s “Leo” the lion. E.B. Gilmore is said to have been the first to offer a self-service gas station. And the company’s radio show called “The Gilmore Circus” featured “Blu-Green, the longest song in the world.” It was advertised as such since every week, a new verse on the excellence of Blu-Green gasoline was added, chosen from hundreds? that had been submitted by the public. Winners were awarded weekly and monthly prizes.

Price: $45.00 AVAILABILITY STATUS: SOLD – No longer available

Sources: www.farmersmarketla.org

Airspace blog post by Allan Janus, Dec. 27, 2010 (http://blog.nasm.si.edu/archives/lion-cubs-yeah-weve-got-lion-cubs-too/)

Another great post to read on the subject of Roscoe and Gilmore: “Rosco and ‘Gilmore the Lion’ – March 13, 2013” at Robert Novell’s Third Dimension Blog. (http://www.robertnovell.com/blog/roscoe-and-gilmore-lion-march-15-2013)

Chapman & Smith Company, Chicago, Illinois

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Annieoakley

Advertisement for Chapman & Smith Co., Chicago, Illinois. Circa 1878 – 1890s.

Price: $15.00 Size: 6 x 5 and 7/8″

This is something someone must have cut out of a newspaper, magazine, maybe a city directory or maybe even the company’s catalog, and glued onto cardboard, unless possibly the company was giving away rather large trade cards? This drawing is 5 and 7/8 inches high and 6 inches long. The purple background was used when the ad was scanned, and not part of the original. Anyway, it shows a drawing of the building for the Chapman & Smith Company. According to their 1899 catalog, they were established in 1878 and incorporated in 1887. The same 1899 catalog stated they sold, “All kinds of supplies for bakers, confectioners, ice cream makers, caterers, hotels, restaurants, etc.” and were the “Pioneer Supply House of the West.” This catalog is online (text only) and is a fascinating look back at what was available and popular at the turn of the 19th century in the world of baking. Here are some examples:

Candy crimpers, popcorn ball presses, Stone’s wax straws, julep strainers, cleaned currants from Greece, cleaned again by Chapman & Smith (the absolute cleanest – no dirt!) Turban cake molds, a Maricabo Coffee or Tea Urn (which contained a stone reservoir and lid to keep in the essence and flavor), Quaker bread pans, Boston Brown Bread flour and pans, Hick’s buttercup cutters, New England brand jam, Chapman and Smith jams and marmalade (blueberry, fig plum, pineapple…), all kinds of nuts (English, Grenoble and French walnuts, Canary almonds…), extra fine sugar jelly, New Orleans molasses, Acme (yes, Acme!) lemon squeezers, Jamaican and African ginger, Dutch caraway, etc.

The address for Chapman & Smith from the 1899 catalog is given as: 185-187 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL but they moved at some point in or before 1910, to 1017 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, IL, since at the new address in 1910 they were granted the right by the Chicago City Council to construct and maintain a canopy over their sidewalk. This drawing was definitely of the 185-187 Randolph St. address, as you’ll notice the street numbers before and after their name on the front of the building.

Sources: Internet Archive (archive.org) showing the full catalog text.

Journal of the Proceedings of the City Council – Issue 1 – page 1644. Chicago 1910.

Princess Louise

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Annieoakley

Nellie H. Bonney trade card showing a beautiful print of Her Royal Highness, the Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll. Miss Bonney can be found in various Haverhill, Massachusetts city directories and also on the 1880 Federal Census taken in Haverhill, showing her occupation as milliner, and born about 1844. To the bottom right of the drawing is the lithographer’s last name and location: Bufford, Boston. This print was produced by John Henry Bufford (1810-1870) an artist, lithographer, and publisher of prints. It is uncertain who was the actual artist of this work.

Trade Card. Nellie H. Bonney, Milliner. Haverhill, Mass. Circa 1880 – 1885.

Price: $25.00 Size: About 2 and 5/8 x 4 and 1/2″

Sources: Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Louise,_Duchess_of_Argyll. (accessed November 14, 2015).

John Henry Bufford. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_Bufford (accessed November 14, 2015).

Year: 1880; Census Place: Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts; Roll: 529; Family History Film: 1254529; Page: 25D; Enumeration District: 182; Image: 0476. (Ancestry.com)

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