The
The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and
Printed Ephemera
Henry Francis du Pont
5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur,
Delaware 19735
Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883
OVERVIEW OF
THE COLLECTION
Creator: Powers, N. C. (Norman Clinton), 1866-1944
Title: Letters
Dates: 1910-1917
Call No.: Col. 435
Acc. No.: 67x138.10-.26
Quantity: 18 items
Location: 34 J 2
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
N.C. Powers ran a store in White River Junction,
Vermont, where he sold stoves and ranges, furniture, and house furnishings, and
also served as an undertaker. Norman
Clinton Powers was born in Stockbridge, Vermont, in 1866, the son of Ellen
Taylor and Mark R. Powers. He married
Lettie French, and they had two children.
Although Powers’ store was in White River Junction, by 1900, he was
living across the state line in Lebanon, New Hampshire, where he died in 1944.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
These letters (plus one small trade catalog)
addressed to N.C. Powers between 1910-1917 (but chiefly 1911-1912) primarily
concern orders for household items, chiefly furniture, placed by Powers for his
business, and the advertisement of new items for sale. Bookcases, toilets, porch swings, camping
furniture, wallpaper, desks, upholstered furniture, mattresses, mirrors, and
lamps are mentioned. All letters are on
pictorial stationery featuring a variety of lithographs and some
chromolithographs. Firms were located in
various cities including Boston, New York, and Chicago.
ORGANIZATION
The letters are in chronological order.
LANGUAGE OF
MATERIALS
The materials are in English.
RESTRICTIONS
ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Purchased from N. D. Scotti.
ACCESS POINTS
Topics:
Desks \v Catalogs.
Advertising.
Camping - Equipment and supplies.
Commercial correspondence.
Furniture.
House furnishings.
Letterheads.
Lithography - Specimens.
Plumbing fixtures.
Toilets.
Wallpaper.
Letters.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 34 J 2
All accession numbers begin with 67x138; all are
addressed to N. C. Powers
.10 from Allen & Paisley Co., furniture,
Boston, March 15, 1910: unable to ship sectional bookcases to him because he
neglected to give them his address;
Printed letterhead: sideboards,
tables, hall stands, chamber sets, book cases, desks & china closets; illustrated
with sectional bookcases
.11-12 from French & Heald Co., furniture
manufacturers, Milford, N.H., January 12, 1911: smoothing over an misunderstanding
about an unpaid bill;
Printed letterhead:
illustrated with view of factory, where make chamber sets, chiffoniers &
buffets
.13 from The Sun Manufacturing Company,
Columbus, Ohio, February 1, 1911: encloses catalog [no longer present] and
solicits orders, especially for porch swings, lawn chairs, and cots and stools
for camping;
Printed letterhead:
illustrated with view of factory, where make show cases, coffee mills, money
drawers, wooden ware specialties, and camp furniture
.14 from The Robert Graves Co., manufactures
of wall papers, New York, February 3, 1911: please inform when plan to be in
town so Mr. Graves will be there to assist him;
Printed letterhead:
illustrated with view of salesroom on Fifth Ave. and the company’s works in
South Brooklyn; letterhead stamped as coming from the Boston office
.26 from S. Karpen & Bros., upholstered
furniture, Chicago, March 1911: circular letter: urging recipient to order
newspaper cuts for Karpen furniture in order to advertise that his store sells
that line;
Printed letterhead:
illustrated with view of factory
.15a-b from Moon Desk Co., Muskegon, Michigan, March
18, 1911, with small catalog: sending him two catalogs, one for oak line and
the other for mahogany line, plus price lists;
also the catalog
[really, just a pamphlet] for the mahogany line of desks, several of which
include room for a typewriter;
Printed letterhead:
illustrated with the man in the moon looking at a desk
.16 from Rockford Standard Furniture Company,
Rockford, Illinois, March 21, 1911: do not do special orders as too busy with
its regular line;
Printed letterhead:
manufacturers of fine and medium furniture, illustrated with view of factory
and the company’s logo
.17 from John Holman & Co., bedding,
mattresses, Boston, April 3, 1911: circular letter: calling Powers’ attention
to their best Silk Floss Mattress and soliciting his business;
Printed letterhead:
illustrated with a bedroom setting
.18a from The Robert Graves Co., manufactures of
wall papers, New York, May 15, 1911: please return the goods mistakenly shipped
to him;
Printed letterhead:
illustrated with view of salesroom on Fifth Ave. and the company’s works in
South Brooklyn;
.18b from New York Furniture Exchange, New York,
May 20, 1911: giving reasons for advancing the date of the New York furniture
exposition; expecting 350 manufacturers at the exposition;
Printed letterhead: with
dates of the 41st exposition printed in red ink, illustrated with
view of the Furniture Exchange building
.19 from J.P. Eustis Manufacturing Co., The
Brasscrafters, Cambridge, Mass., May 21, 1911: requesting more information
about the bathroom mirrors he desires;
Printed letterhead:
manufacturers of metal frame French plate mirrors, portable and fixed shower
baths, and staple bathroom necessities; on back: map of Boston and Cambridge
showing “how to get to us,” including the new subway to be opened in late 1911
.20 from S. Karpen & Bros., upholstered
furniture, Chicago, June 30, 1911: circular letter: a private individual has
been advised to call on Powers to see the Karpen furniture;
Printed letterhead:
illustrated with view of factory
.21 from McKenney & Waterbury Co.,
electric, gas and oil fixtures, Boston, Mass., August 24, 1911: about an order
for globes and holders for someone’s bracket lamps;
Printed letterhead:
illustrated with a chandelier lighting the world
.22 from French & Heald Co., furniture
manufacturers, Milford, N.H., October 7, 1911: dresser will be shipped at once,
but still making the chiffoniers;
Printed letterhead:
illustrated with view of factory, where made chamber sets, chiffoniers &
buffets
.23 from The Robert Graves Co., manufactures
of wall papers, New York, 1911: circular letter: sending the new sample books;
Printed letterhead:
illustrated with view of salesroom on Fifth Ave. and the company’s works in
South Brooklyn;
.25 from Fellows & Co., Wooden Novelties,
Boston, Mass., January 22, 1912: letter has been cut off, only the printed
letterhead remains;
Printed letterhead:
housefurnishing [sic] specialties: clothes dryers; step, common, and extension
ladders; wash benches; ironing tables; pastry boards; lawn settees and swings;
hammock chairs, Paris Mfg. Co., sleds and wagons; wholesale dealers in wooden
and willow ware
,24 from Peck & Hills Furniture Co., New
York City, June 27, 1917: am issuing a tracer on the missing shipment;
Printed letterhead:
wholesale furniture; illustrated with view of office and salesroom