Monthly Archives: August 2018

Maxwell B. McClain’s Calling Card

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Calling card, circa 1870s – 1900.

Price:  $5.00        Size:  3 and 3/4 x 2 and 1/4″

Amazing that the rather delicate fold-back portion, the hand offering violets (with a flower faerie choosing to be viewed) of this calling card is still intact.  After peering under or folding back (we tried to be careful when scanning) we see the full name, Maxwell B. McClain. And I was getting ready to type in how many entries under this name were found in census records, city directories, etc. but curiously, none were found that would fit the time-frame for a card of this type, which would probably have been from the later 1800s to the turn of the century.

Mellier’s High Class Perfumes

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Trade card, Oberdeener’s Pharmacy and Mellier’s Perfumes. Circa 1889 – 1901.

Price:  $15.00          Size:  4 and 1/2 x 3″

A lovely trade card in blue, pink and yellow showing a ladies shoe, a fan, a flower, a butterfly and a paper memento of some sort, resting in a large sea shell. This particular design was not the only one with this theme. There is another to be found for sale online showing a yellow shoe facing in the opposite direction. Mellier’s, based out of St. Louis, Missouri, was very prolific in creating fragrances over the years. We’ve counted a total of eighty, found on the web, including one called Ping Pong (!) The titles shown on this card are:

Ascension Lily, Sweet Crab Apple, Favorita, Violet Bouquet, Bon Silene Rose, Lilac Spray, Golden Pansy, Arabian Nights, Peach Blossom and Allien Bouquet (sometimes seen as Allen Bouquet).

The advertiser on the trade card was S. Oberdeener, of Santa Clara, California, who stated,  “We can confidently recommend – Mellier’s ‘High-Class’ Perfumes – and will take pleasure in showing our patrons how closely they imitate the natural flower and how they possess at the same time both wonderful delicacy and great permanence.”

1038 Franklin Street, Santa Clara, CA

Samuel Oberdeener, per Find A Grave, son of Moses and Libby Oberdeener, was born in San Francisco, September 14, 1860 and died May 20, 1901 in Santa Clara, California. He was married to Emma Lauck. They had one daughter, Mildred. Sam Oberdeener was a graduate of the California College of Pharmacy in 1880, a member of the State Board of Pharmacy, Board of Town Trustees and an active member in the Masonic order, the Odd Fellows, Elks and Foresters. Oberdeener’s would have been well-known in the area, at the time of Sam’s passing, the store had been in business for over thirty years, Samuel having taken over from his father in 1882.

Dating the trade card

All of the perfume titles listed on the trade card, with the exception of Peach Blossom, were found advertised in The American Drug Clerks Journal, January 1889, Vol. 3. (A date for Peach Blossom was not located.) And since Samuel Oberdeener died in 1901, we would estimate this card to be from about 1889 to 1901. The pharmacy continued for some years after Samuel’s death. Below, an ad from the 1913 Santa Clara directory:

Sources:  “Dr Samuel Oberdeener” Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi.

“Dr. Samuel Oberdeener.” Los Angeles Times, May 21, 1901. Tuesday, p. 5. (Newspapers.com).

The American Drug Clerks Journal, January 1889, Vol. 3.(Google.com).

Polk-Husted Directory Co.’s, San Jose City and Santa Clara, 1913-14, p. 470. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Birthday Wishes For Felix Schneble

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Divided back postcard. Postmarked August 17, 1917 [?] Perrysburg, New York. Publisher:  NAF Co. [?] Series 101G.

Price:  $10.00

Forget-me-nots and beautiful block lettering with the following sentiments from father to son…..

“A Birthday of happiness,

Radiant with hope’s rosy light.

And many another to follow.

As years take their flight.”

Addressed to:   “Felix Schneble, 157 Rauber St., Wellsville, N.Y.”

“Dear Son:  I didn’t forget your birthday. Meet me at the depot Sat. night. We will have a big time next week. Pa.”

A nice card from Elmer Schneble to his son Felix, the postmarked year looks like it might have been 1917 and from the sound of the note (hope they had a great time) that sounds about right. Felix, from his WWI Draft Registration Card was Felix Covill Schneble, born August 16, 1900. In September 1918, he was going to school and working at Kerr Turbine Company, and living at home at the Rauber St. address. Eight years earlier, the 1910 Federal Census for Perrysburg at 157 Rauber shows Elmer F. and Lena Schneble and children Felix, Edwin and Isabella. All are natives of New York.

And not to leave readers with a vague (or pronounced) question in mind since we mentioned WWI….and we don’t know if Felix was actually in the war, but thankfully, he appears on the 1925 New York State Census, with his family again, same address, and at this time his grandparents, Felix H. (native of Germany) and Hannah M. Schneble, are also in the household.

Last, but not least, the publisher is undetermined at this time. Cropped from the back of the card, their logo:

Sources:  Registration State: New York; Registration County: Allegany; Roll: 1711955; Draft Board: 1. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918.

Year: 1910; Census Place: Wellsville, Allegany, New York; Roll: T624_924; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 0039; FHL microfilm: 1374937. (Ancestry.com).

New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 04; Assembly District: 01; City: Wellsville; County: Allegany; Page: 13. (Ancestry.com).

George A. Drew’s Jewelry Store Trade Card

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Trade card, 1882 – 1883, Lewiston, Maine.

Price:  $12.00      Size:  2 and 1/2 x 4 and 1/2″

I was picturing someone searching the web for a photo or illustration of this jeweler’s store, thinking they’d found it, all excited, only to find this trade card (beautiful though it is and a wonderful find.) Hence, the long post title (which made me think of Bob Dylan’s lyric, “It’s your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat.” Goofy sometimes, the associations we come up with 🙂 ).

The front of the card shows an illustration of a young woman in bathing attire with hand shading brow and looking off into the distance, alongside the title of “Old Reliable.”  I’m thinking it must have been second nature to the artists that designed trade cards, but note the nice 3-D effect on this one with the insert of the girl, and overlapping that, the insert for the jeweler (associating himself with the term “Old Reliable”) and then the artistically arranged cutting of some type of flower draped over both (with shadows drawn in). The store’s address is given as  “No. 93 Lisbon Street, Lewiston, Me.”

Find the typo

The back advertises:  “George A. Drew, dealer in Watches, Diamons, Jewelry, Silver & Plated Ware, Spectacles & Eye-glasses. Sole Agent for Hand Engraved and Silver Plated ware, something new and beautiful, also Agent for Rock Crystal Spectacles, the best in the world. Fine Watch work a specialty, Watches Cleaned and Warranted for $1.00. 93 Lisbon St., Lewiston, ME.”

Reliable and reliably on Lisbon

George A. Drew was born in Maine, about 1836. On the 1870 Federal Census for Lewiston, he appears with his wife Alice and their children, Nellie and Fred. City directories for a twenty-year span, show five different addresses on Lisbon. Note the 1893 address below doesn’t match the one on the card.

1874 to 1880 at 83 Lisbon

1883 at 131 Lisbon

1885 to 1889 at 93 Lisbon

1891 at 75 Lisbon

1893-4 at 71 Lisbon

Sources:  Year: 1870; Census Place: Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine; Roll: M593_536; Page: 182B; Family History Library Film: 552035. (Ancestry.com).

Greenough Jones & Co.’s Directory for Lewiston and Auburn, 1874-5, p. 170; W. A. Greenough & Co.’s Lewiston and Auburn Directory for 1883, p. 226; W. A. Greenough & Co.’s Lewiston and Auburn Directory, 1885, p. 215; W. A. Greenough & Co.’s Lewiston and Auburn Directory, 1889, p. 269; W. A. Greenough & Co.’s Lewiston and Auburn Directory, 1891, p. 286; W. A. Greenough & Co.’s Lewiston and Auburn Directory, 1893-4, p. 301. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.)

Dinna Forget

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Divided back, embossed, unused postcard, circa 1910 – 1911. Publisher:  Household Journal.

Price:  $7.00

This beautiful postcard was intended to go out to a Household Journal subscriber as a reminder to “dinna forget” to renew their subscription, and also was a sample from Household Journal’s “grand set of new Post Cards for 1911.”

The reverse shows the printed:

“Dear Friend – ‘Old friends are best,’ and while I am glad to welcome many new readers, I am more than doubly pleased to have my old friends renew their subscriptions. I will be much disappointed if you do not accept one of my very liberal offers. Won’t you please attend to it today? Cordially yours W. A. Martin. Editor Household Journal.”

For our American homes and all lovers of flowers…..more than a million readers

Here’s a link for the monthly volumes from years 1912 – 1913, Household Journal and Floral Life (enter at your own risk 😉 you may find yourself still immersed hours later). The ads and offers are particularly fascinating, such as the European-made, brass covered telescope, “See 10 Miles for only $1.00.”  Good for counting livestock on the ranch, finding out who was coming up the drive in the carriage, not to mention checking out your neighbors (yikes!) Give one hour of your time distributing keepsake certificates and earn a magnificent set of dishes of a wild rose design, in natural colors edged in gold. Or the offer to “Come to Florida and Live Like a Prince” on a thriving fruit or truck farm (truck farm?) We like the instruction type articles too, like how to make flower essence oil (p. 33 in the last volume). Also of note, for the historical researcher, and for anyone trying to date their old photos by clothing style, note the oftentimes full-page illustrations of the latest modes in fashion.

Source:  Household Journal and Floral Life. Vol. V. – VI., 1912 – 1913. The Central Publishing Co., Springfield, Ohio. books.google.com.

Clan Fraser Of Lovat

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Divided back, unused postcard. Publisher:  Photochrom Co. Ltd. Graphic Studios, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England. Circa 1950s.

Price:  $8.00

Calling all Highland Frasers…..

A vintage postcard from around the 1950s showing a spray of harebells (campanula rotundifolia) also called bluebells,  blawort, lady’s thimble, witch’s bells, and witch’s thimbles with one of the Scottish Highland’s Fraser of Lovat clan tartans and coat of arms. Clan Fraser of Lovat is not to be confused with Clan Fraser (of the Lowlands) though the two are said to be related.

And I really would have guessed earlier on this card than the circa 1950s date but an entry shows on eBay for one dated 1957. The publisher though, according to MetroPostcard, was established in 1896.

Sources:  Campanula rotundifolia. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campanula_rotundifolia. (accessed August 19, 2018).

Clan Fraser of Lovat. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Fraser_of_Lovat. (accessed August 19, 2018).

“P – publishers – page 1”  List of publishers. MetroPostcard.com. (accessed August 19, 2018).

Loch Lomond By E. Longstaffe

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Postcard, unused. Artist-signed by E. Longstaffe. Publisher unknown. Circa 1904 -1905.

Price:  $5.00

Continuing with our short excursion to Scotland….an artist-signed card by English landscape painter, Edgar Longstaffe (1852 – 1933). The few others currently for sale online are dated from 1904 and 1905 (though were put out by other publishers). This particular offering is not in the best shape – the layers of paper comprising the card are starting to peel away from each other, but since Scotland had seemed to be a somewhat neglected area of my collection, I was happy to find this card and include it here.

Source:  Edgar Longstaffe. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Longstaffe (accessed August 8, 2018).

Handsome Scot In Full Dress Attire

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Old photo, white border. Circa 1920s.

Price:  $7.00        Size:  About 2 and 5/8 x 4 and 7/16″

I’m guessing this photo is from the 1920s, or maybe late 1910s, due to the look of the gentlemen in non-traditional wear. Where was the photo taken? That’s a mystery, though if we could focus in on the big sign above the fence that could be a colossal clue (even if it’s advertisement). And what was the occasion? Unknown, but maybe part of a Highland games festival. That’s a sporran (purse in Gaelic) that the man wears below the belt, essential since kilts have no pockets.

Source:  Sporran. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sporran (accessed August 5, 2018).