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Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Anonymous cards

updated 5 October 2018
Anonymous Cards

I have so far been unable to track down the origins of these trade cards, even though some have corporate names attached. If you come across any information on them, please let me know. Thanks!

Seeing You
Rainy season 

A.B. Seeley copyrighted this in 1882. It is now in the public domain.
The card below has very few clues as to its origin. Glue on the back indicates it was probably part of somebody's scrapbook. It may have been a magazine clipping, but the print quality and surface damage makes it appear to be right for the late 19th or early 20th century. The identity of the lady portrayed is unknown as of this writing.



One of the 19th century businesses distributing this stock card was Grant & Besse, clothiers of
Westfield MA. Conducting their business at 94 Elm St., known as the "Gowdy Block," this building
has been demolished.
The back of this card is clean, without glue residues.
No advertiser marked it.
For its real beauty, click the image to enlarge it. Enjoy!




These Rival Soap cards are here until I can find information about C.L. Jones or Rival Soap, at which time they may have a page of their own. Meanwhile, enjoy!

Winne & Co. is also a mystery, but they advertised on a nice bookmark:



Here's another bookmark for you. When we have a chance, we'll see if the landscape of Findlay OH looks anything like this.


So far, all we have at this time is the information that came on the following cards. Research will have to wait until later. If you have any ideas, please comment. Thanks!




Thanks to +Ann Kennedy (see comments below) you can discover the secret ingredient that made Pearline the great product it was and a good deal more in addition!







3 comments:

  1. A city directory of Salem, Massachusetts (1851) lists a George H. Smith as having a clothing and furnishings shop on Washington St, which is quite close to Essex St. so I would guess this is the origin of your hat card. Pearline was a widely advertised multi-purpose soap product and here's a neat little history: http://digging-history.com/2015/03/09/monday-musings-washing-the-pearline-way/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for your comment! I am always eager to hear "the rest of the story!"

      Delete
    2. The Internet Archive has the page referenced above:
      https://web.archive.org/web/20161106230132/http://digging-history.com/2015/03/09/monday-musings-washing-the-pearline-way/

      Delete