J. P. Roberts, Druggist, Hastings, MI

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Annieoakley

Besides advertising the business for “J. P. Roberts, Druggist and Pharmacist, Dealer In Books, Stationery, Paints Oils and Dye Stuffs, Hastings, Mich.” this trade card/bookmark contains the following words of wisdom:

“Time is money” “Where there is a will there is a way” and one this web author had never heard before, “Speak the truth, no lie thrives.” (A good one!)

The Hidden Garden

Not to forget to mention the beautiful partridge, and pale gold-colored lettering and fancy design, in general. Click on the image to enlarge, then notice the seated lady in her front garden. (A bonus!) At the bottom are printed the words: “Entered According to Act of Congress by Gibson & Co. in the Year 1874 in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.”

James P. Roberts and Family

J. P. was James P. Roberts. From the 1880 Federal Census for Hastings, he was born in Pennsylvania, about 1825; wife Anna M. Roberts, born in Maine, about 1834; their daughters, Clara W., age ten, and Sarah E., age six, both born in Michigan. Anna was the daughter of David G. Robinson (who became Hastings City bank president) and Sarah B. (Keith) Robinson.

The 1860 shows James and wife Annie, and Mary F., age five, and Annie D. Roberts, age four (daughters presumably) as well as Augustus Taylor, age eleven (the 1860 census did not give relationships.)

Hastings’ First

J. P. Roberts has the distinction of opening the first drug store in Hastings, in 1851. About 1860 he took on Daniel Striker as partner in the drugstore/book seller business, and their partnership lasted about six years. Striker would become well-known in Hastings history, he served as County Clerk and was twice-elected Secretary of State, among other achievements.

Trade Card, Bookmark. J. P. Roberts Druggist and Pharmacist, Hastings, Michigan. Circa 1874.

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

Sources: Year: 1880; Census Place: Hastings, Barry, Michigan; Roll: 570; Family History Film: 1254570; Page: 113C; Enumeration District: 040; Image: 0607. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1860; Census Place: Hastings, Barry, Michigan; Roll: M653_536; Page: 747; Image: 245; Family History Library Film: 803536. (Ancestry.com)

Michigan Historical Collections, Vol. 29. Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society. pp. 416 – 418. (Google eBook).

Walton, Esther. A Look Back: A review of the businesses, organizations and history – of Hastings, Michigan. (Google snippet view).

Michigan Historical Collections, Vol. 28. Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society. p. 378. (Google eBook).

The Youth’s Companion

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Annieoakley

Trade Card. The Youth’s Companion. Boston, Mass. Circa 1887.

Price: $12.00 Size: 3 and 3/4 x 5 and 7/8″

“The Youth’s Companion. An Illustrated Paper. For Young People And The Family. Published Weekly By Perry Mason & Co. Boston Mass.”

What a beautiful illustration (!) and perfect for autumn with the gorgeous mums in the foreground. The background delights us, as well, with a castle, mountains and an unusual pale green-tinted sky.

The Youth’s Companion ran from 1827 – 1929 when it merged with The American Boy. The Companion, like the back of the card states, was popular with adults as well as children, and ran contributions from many famous authors…..I’m thinking there must be many “stories within the story” here (very fitting for a magazine) but one is it’s “connection” to The Pledge of Allegiance and another is it’s connection (in the future) with the fictional character Perry Mason. Check out the Wiki article. And see Dr. John W. Baer’s “Chapter Two: The Youth’s Companion’s Pledge” (2007) for an in-depth look as to who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance and more about The Youth’s Companion.

As far as the date for the trade card, we’ll estimate 1887, as Pinterest shows the same card that we have, and along with it, a very similar one with an 1887 calendar.

Sources: The Youth’s Companion. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Youth’s_Companion. (accessed November 15, 2015).

Baer, John W., “Chapter Two: The Youth’s Companion’s Pledge” The Pledge of Allegiance, A Revised History and Analysis, 2007. (Web accessed November 15, 2015.)

I. Rice Sons, Rochester, NY

Posted on November 14, 2015 by Annieoakley

“Established in 1852. I. Rice Sons, Dealers in Men’s and Boys’ Ready-Made Clothing, Cloths, Cassimeres, Vestings, &c., 29 East Main Street, Rochester, N. Y.”

At first glance, you might wonder if the “I. Rice Sons” without “&” printed on this trade card was a printing error, but not so, as we will see: In browsing city directories we find that I. Rice was Israel Rice. His son Leopold worked with him for awhile, as the 1870 finds them under I. Rice & Son. By 1875, if not earlier, sons Henry and Seligman ran the business, hence the name I. Rice Sons appearing on this trade card.

A not all-inclusive directory timeline…

1864 – Israel Rice, clothier, 15 Main, home 8 Pleasant.

1870 – Israel Rice & Son (L. Rice) “clothers” (clothiers) 15 Main, house 12 Pleasant. Leopold Rice (I. Rice & Son), h. 11 Pleasant.

1874 – Israel Rice & Son. 15 Main St.

1875 – Israel Rice, 15 W. Main, house 12 Pleasant. I. Rice Sons (L. H. and S. Rice) clothiers, 15 E. Main.

1878 – Henry Rice (Rice & Wolff) and (I. Rice Sons) house 4 Clinton Place. Israel Rice (I. Rice Sons) house 12 Pleasant. Seligman Rice (I. Rice Sons) 29 East Main.

1882 – I. Rice Sons (H. and S. Rice) clothiers, 29 E. Main. Henry Rice & Co. (M. H. Lempert) hats and caps, 54 Mill and (I. Rice Sons) house 23 William. Israel Rice, house 12 Pleasant. Seligman Rice (I. Rice Sons) 29 East Main, house 1 Rome.

1884 – Henry Rice & Co. (M. H. Lempert) hats and caps, 110 Mill and (I. Rice Sons) house 28 William. Israel Rice, 94 E. Main, house 13 (or 12) Pleasant. I. Rice Sons (H. and S. Rice) clothiers, 94 E. Main.

The Litho company

“Bufford Boston” that appears in small lettering at the bottom left of the trade card refers to John Henry Bufford (1810 – 1870) lithographer. By the time this card was printed the business was being run by his sons, Frank and John, Jr. We have another trade card by Bufford, Laurel Cottage’s very first post (!) entitled Princess Louise.

What’s on the back?

The back has an intriguing scrap of paper glued to it, maybe it was by accident or maybe the original collector was trying to make the card sturdier. Anyway, it appears that the trade card must have been laying on top of the classified section of a newspaper and the partial ad transferred over – in reverse. You have to hold it to a mirror to read it easily. The wording is:

“White Steamer, 20 h.p tour…top, shield, speedometer and…cost 3,000.00 reasonable price.” And above that something about Chicago – maybe it was listed in a Chicago paper….Ahhh, a car – the White Steamer!

Trade Card, I Rice Sons. Rochester, NY. Circa 1878 – 1882.

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

Sources: Andrew Boyd’s Boyd’s Rochester and Brockport Directory, 1864-5. p.182. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

C. C. Drew’s Rochester Directory, 1870. No. 21. p. 177. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

Sampson, Davenport & Co.’s New York State Business Directory, 1874. p. 532. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

Drew, Allis & Company’s Rochester Directory, 1875. No. 25. p. 265. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

Drew, Allis & Company’s Rochester Directory, 1878. No. 29. p. 277. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

Drew, Allis & Company’s Rochester Directory, 1882. No. 33. pp. 359-359. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

Drew, Allis & Company’s Rochester Directory, 1884. No. 35. p. 428. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

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

Household Sewing Machine Trade Card

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Annieoakley

Trade card, circa 1882 – 1890s, for the Household Sewing Machine Company. Many differently designed trade cards can be found online for this company, some showing Household as the manufacturer and the earlier showing Providence Tool Company. This particular one shows a winged imp or fairy opening the back of an envelope (a common theme back in the day) to reveal a beautiful Gothic Revival (?) mansion nestled back among some surrounding trees.

The illustrations and company info below can be found in the 1889 publication The Industrial Advantages of Providence, R. I. (Google eBook).

Household’s Machine Plant at 103 Wickenden Street, Providence, Rhode Island

Household’s Cabinet Plant at Crary and Langley Streets, Providence, Rhode Island

The Household Sewing Machine Company was incorporated in August of 1882, having purchased the Providence Tool Company (where the first Household sewing machines were made.) Both the machine and cabinet plants were steam-operated and in 1889 employed about 325 skilled workmen. The cabinet shop produced “…high class cabinet work for all kinds of other manufacturers…” as well as the wooden cabinets and cases for Household sewing machines, though the company’s chief product was it’s sewing machine.

Household went out of business in 1905 (or perhaps officially in 1906 if various online sources are correct.) The following are two newspaper clips showing their auction ad, and shortly afterward, someone advertising his purchases from this auction, which he was then selling…. All a little sad, but imagine today what a picker’s dream it would have been!

November 1905 auction ad from the Boston Daily Globe

December 1905 ad from the Boston Daily Globe for Corliss Engines for sale

Note: Since we do keep finding these “Into Or Out Of The Envelope” type designs on trade cards, postcards and the like, a separate category will go up now, under this ridiculously long title. I thought about lumping them in with our Breakthrough category, but really they deserve their own space, since the two themes are related but not the same.

Trade Card. Circa 1882 – 1890s. Household Sewing Machine Co.

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

Sources: McKinney, James P. (Ed.). (1889). The Industrial Advantages of Providence, R. I. Providence, RI: Jas. P. McKinney. (Google eBook).

The Boston Daily Globe. 22 November 1905, Wednesday, p. 1. (Newspapers.com)

The Boston Daily Globe. 6 December 1905, Wednesday, p. 20. (Newspapers.com)

Paris Card Company, Boston, 1881

Posted on November 8, 2015 by Annieoakley

Trade Card. Circa 1881. Paris Card Co., Boston, MA

Price: $25.00 Size: About 2 and 3/4 x 4 and 1/2″

Here’s another in what we call our “Breakthrough” category, and like the last post, it’s a trade card from Boston. We’ll describe the person that does the “breaking through” as a smiling, Regency Era gentleman with long sideburns, bushy eyebrows, light-colored trousers and waistcoat, and dark cutaway (?) coat, watch hanging from fob, cuffed boots and a low-crown hat with curly brim. To his left and sitting just slightly behind him is his little dog. In contrast to the man, the dog gazes directly at us – a smart idea by the artist. Note the shadows for both figures, as well. The card indicates:

“Paris Card Co. P. O. Box 2627, Boston, : Mass.”

The only year we’ve found for this company is 1881. Below is an ad that ran in both Peterson’s Ladies National Magazine and the American Agriculturist for that year. Also, at the moment of putting up this post, no other trade cards for this company were found online.

Source: Peterson’s Ladies National Magazine, Vol. 79. 1881. (Google eBook)

Misfit Parlors, 4 Hayward Place, Boston

Posted on November 8, 2015 by Annieoakley

Trade Card. Circa 1892.

Price: $15.00 Size: About 5 and 1/8 x 3 and 1/8″

“Misfit Parlors. No. 4 Hayward Place, Boston.”

A very similar card for this same establishment (with moon and dog) was found online as having been sold at auction; hence the heavy watermarks on ours above. But what a beauty, with the winking moon, the sky colors, and the little white dog! The reverse side advertises their price listing for custom-made pants and overcoats, and includes the lovely phrasing:

“High Art and Elegant Garments in Silk and Satin Lined Overcoats and Ulsterettes, rendering a most opportune chance to secure….A $50.00 Custom-Made Overcoat for – – – $20.00…..”

“Recollect, every Garment bears the name of the Tailor.”

“Misfit Parlors. Private House, 4 Hayward Place, Near Globe Theatre, 3 doors from Washington St. Open evenings till 9 o’clock; Saturday, till 11 P.M.”

A want ad in the Boston Post dated September 10, 1892, finds the Boston Misfit Clothing Company located just down the street, at 26 Hayward Place.

In checking city directories for both the addresses, it would appear that the Misfit Clothing Company may not have been long in operation. Various individuals show at the Hayward Place addresses in the 1880’s and 1890’s, under a variety of occupations, so it would seem there was a high turnover for tenants. This fact, along with the above ad being in the want ads, probably indicates the proprietor didn’t have a lot of money to spend on advertising, and was not doing well enough to continue for very long, or perhaps just moved on to something he or she liked better.

The phrase “misfit clothing” seems to have been one used back in the day. Another ad for a tailor (unrelated to our trade card) advertised in the 1880 Fall River, Mass city directory, “Misfit clothing altered to perfect fit.”

A parlor is not always a brothel….

The very similar card from Misfit Parlors, that we mentioned at the beginning of this post, is one that we discovered was sold at auction, and we were surprised to find it described there as advertising a brothel. For sure, one can see how the use of the word “parlors” could invite this interpretation, but really, without any records found to back up this claim, even if one were stretching the point, as if the clothing store was a “front” or something….well, you can do the math. (Be careful with what you’re told is factual and with what you want to believe to be true.)

Sources: Boston Post. 10 September 1892. Saturday, p. 7. (Newspapers.com.)

Ulster coat. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_coat. (accessed November 8, 2015).

Sampson, Davenport & Co.’s Fall River Directory, 1880, Vol 14. p. 526. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

Kenton Baking Powder Trade Card

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Annieoakley

The trademarked design on this Kenton Baking Powder trade card seems to fit the fall season with the weather having turned chilly. Notice the red-tipped nose on the man in the moon. And we hope the owl has seen the shooting star and made a wish! 😉

The oval stamp on the back of this one says: “W. W. Hough, Dealer In Groceries & Crockery. Empire Block, Boonville, N. Y.”

The 1880 Federal Census for Boonville shows William W. Hough, grocer, born about 1846; his wife Nancy M. born about 1850; and their sons Clinton W., born about 1877 and William D., born about 1879. All are native to New York.

According to online city directories, Hough was a grocer in Boonville at least as early as 1878 and up until at least 1884. However, he more likely operated until about 1904, according to the ad below for H. B. Belknap, successor to W. W. Hough, from the Boonville Herald, dated January 26, 1905.

As to Potter, Parlin & Co., of Cincinnati – they were the manufacturer of Kenton Baking Powder, here advertised as 20 cents for a 1 lb. can, 10 cents for a 1/2 lb. can and 5 cents for a 1/4 lb. can. (Hmmm, got me wondering what size I have in my cupboard. For the record, 7 oz. – which translates to a little less than a 1/2 lb. The Calumet brand I have currently costs about $5.00 for 7 oz. $5.00 – funny, coincidentally the price of the Williams’ Utica city directory for 1894 per below.)

As an aside….the politics of city directories

The above page is from Williams’ Utica City Directory and Williams’ Street and Block Directory, 1894 – including Boonville and other towns. Check out the “convicted pirates” reference. In general city directories contain wonderful information for researchers and historians, and this particular directory was a great one, with items such as a breakdown of the total length of paved (27.09 miles) and unpaved (74.05 miles) streets in Utica in 1894; a historical listing of appointed and elected mayors year by year; a list of fire alarm signal boxes (of which there were many) and their locations; a table of wages; and an official death register (the first we’ve come across in city directories) for those over age eighteen and excluding state hospital deaths. In short, $5.00, the price for this particular directory, bought you a lot!

Sources: Year: 1880; Census Place: Boonville, Oneida, New York; Roll: 902; Family History Film: 1254902; Page: 71B; Enumeration District: 083; Image: 0145. (Ancestry.com)

Kimball’s Oneida County Directory, 1878. p. 308. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

C.N. Gaffney’s Gazeteer & Directory of the County of Oneida, 1884. p. 422. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

H. B. Belknap advertisment. Boonville Herald, 26 Jan. 1905. (FultonHistory.com)

Morrison, Abraham Cressy. (1907) The Baking Powder Controversy, Vol. 2. New York: The American Baking Powder Association.

Trade Card. Kenton Baking Powder. Circa 1878 – 1884.

Price: $7.00 Size: 3 x 2 and 3/4″

Minnehaha Falls Lithograph

Posted on August 23, 2015 by Annieoakley

This is possibly part of an old advertisement or trade card. It had been trimmed and glued to a piece of paper. The gold border is not part of the original, but was just for scanning purposes. We can see that it says “Minnehaha Falls and” so some other wording was cut off. But what a fanciful picture: (I swear I’m picking up the lingo of the Regency Era.) The plant life framing the scene being so much larger than the people viewing the falls, especially the sheaves of wheat-looking objects on the right. If this image looks familiar to anyone, the back might help, with the lower half (ish) of a line of print, and centered underneath that in parentheses, the word Appleby’s?.

Partial trade card or advertising. Circa 1890s.

Price: $5.00

Scottish Lass Trade Card

Posted on May 23, 2015 by Annieoakley

Victorian Era trade card. Washington registered trade mark. Circa 1889 – 1890s. Condition: Poor, regrettably, due to top middle piece having become torn away from the whole; creases in top and bottom left corners; top right corner missing.

Size: 4 and 1/2 x 6 and 1/2″

Price: $7.00

A beautiful red-haired lassie in Rob Roy MacGregor-Black (?) plaid skirt and jacket, and a tam-o-shanter with red wings, holds a peacock feather-designed fan. She is posed standing on a path in the forest, with her arm draped protectively around a lamb, who rests just next to her on a grassy ledge. Girl and lamb are looking off to their right. The design ends up to be a little comical – it appears that the lamb wears a little pointed hat (!) but really that is just the bonny lassie’s arm showing through her sleeve – her long sleeves being slit almost up to the shoulder. Very stylish!

At the bottom of this Victorian Era trade card is the wording: “Washington.“ And then in smaller print, “Trade Mark Registered.” What is meant by Washington? Our best guess is that it’s one of a series of cards for each state in the Union. Washington became as state November 11, 1889.

A Singer For The Girls

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Annieoakley

Trade card. Circa 1910 – 1914. Publisher unknown, Form 1653. Size: 5 and 1/4 x 3 and 1/2″

Price: $15.00

True, this trade card is not in the best of shape, with some major creasing at the top right, and the name Ella written in childlike handwriting on the front and back (Ella Ellison.) But as of the date of this posting, there do not appear to be any others showing online (though Pinterest shows an ad of the same design that contains some added wording and appears in brighter colors.) Anyway, the front shows a charming illustration of a little girl in pink, seated at a small wooden table, sewing on the Singer 20. Her dolly in high chair is keeping her company, as well as her toy monkey (looking rather politically incorrect) who is seated on the table. The front of the card reads:

“A Singer for the Girls. Not a Toy But A Practical Singer Sewing Machine. Price $3.00.”

The back shows: “The Singer ’20’ Practical and Instructive. Useful and Amusing. Price $3.00” and an illustration of the machine with a girl’s face in the center.

Here are two excellent websites regarding this model: Alex I. Askaroff’s, The Sewalot Site and ISMACS International.

According to Alex Askaroff, the Singer 20 was made at the Elizabeth factory in New Jersey, starting around 1910. It was first billed as a toy, but those in charge must have quickly realized the value of marketing for adults as well. (See the second link for the illustration of the machine fitting in the palm of the hand.) Later called the Sewhandy, production ran all the way until the 1970s, with some changes along the way, of course. The original name came from it’s being the 20th unique machine after Isaac Singer’s very first model No.1 (awarded patent No.1 in 1851). The Singer 20 was the most popular of any toy sewing machine, came in different colors, was copied by other manufacturers after patents ran out, sold worldwide and manufactured in other countries. This particular trade card is said to be pre-WWI.

Sources: Askaroff, Alex I., “Singer Toy Sewing Machine.” Sewalot. Web accessed May 17, 2015.

“Singer No. 20.” ISMACS International. Web accessed May 17, 2015.

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