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: McVine, John W. (John
Watson), 1862-1944
Title: Records,
Dates: 1887-1916 (bulk dates)
Call No.: Col. 558
Acc. No.: 98x93
Quantity: about 70 items (2 boxes)
Location: 34 K 1
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
John Watson McVine ran a jewelry store, first in
Crown Point, New York, and then in Gardner, Massachusetts. He was born in October 1862, in Colton, New
York, the son of Sarah E. Watson and John W. McVine. He died in Gardner, Mass., in June 1944. In 1887, he married his first wife in Crown
Point, New York. In 1892, he married as
his second wife Elizabeth R. (Lizzie) Hager, a seamstress from Worcester,
Mass., the daughter of Rose A. Grant and George Hager. McVine was a Mason, a member of Hope Lodge in
Gardner.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
Two daybooks and six daily journals, covering the
years 1887-1896, 1907-1910, and 1914-1916, record the money taken in by John W.
McVine's jewelry stores, first located in Crown Point, New York, and later in
West Gardner, Massachusetts. Noted are
the purchases of rings, brooches and pins, bracelets, clocks and watches,
chains, fobs, silverware, eyeglasses (including sunglasses), sewing machine
needles and bobbins, cufflinks, rosaries, thimbles, buttons (some specified as
being for gloves or collars), pencils and pens, percolator tops, etc. Also recorded are repairs to jewelry and
watches and the engraving of silver and jewelry. The daybooks include the names of
customers. The daily journals usually
record two prices; one may be the cost to McVine and the other his retail price. In some books, a symbol—perhaps recording the
manufacturer, a particular style, or the wholesale cost —appears next to the
items sold.
Collection also includes some bills for what McVine
bought to sell in his store. Included
are bills from such silver manufacturers as Gorham, R. Wallace & Sons, and
Rogers, Lunt & Bowlen Co., a sewing machine supply company, and an optical
company. Miscellaneous items in the
collection are postcards with the return address of Mrs. John W. McVine, 37
Osgood St., Gardner, Mass.; the "Magazine Game"; suggestions from the
Pressed Wood Corp. for the use of its product; and photos of a church and of a
woman.
ORGANIZATION
The items are divided by type (daybooks, daily
journals, bills) and then arranged chronologically.
LANGUAGE OF
MATERIALS
The materials are in English.
RESTRICTIONS
ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Purchased from Carmen Valentino.
ACCESS POINTS
Topics:
Jewelry trade - Massachusetts
- Gardner.
Jewelry trade – New York (State) – Crown Point.
Jewelry stores.
Jewelry – Prices.
Jewelry – Repairing.
Clocks and watches - Prices.
Clocks and watches - Repairing.
Eyeglasses.
Engraving (Metal-work) - Massachusetts - Gardner.
Business records - Massachusetts - Gardner.
Business records – New York (State) – Crown Point.
Games.
Daybooks.
Billheads.
Jewelers.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 34 K
1
Box 1:
Daybooks, Daily Journals
Folder 1: Daybook,
April 1, 1887-March 15, 1889;
kept in Crown
Point, [New York.]
(marbled
covers; 128 pages, but pages after 122 are blank; names and addresses are
written on last flyleaf and inside back cover; acc. 98x93.1)
Folder 2: Daybook, March 16, 1889-March 30, 1893;
Entries
through June 8, 1891, are from Crown Point; beginning June 24, 1891 (page 154),
the entries are from West Gardner, Massachusetts;
(leather
covers, with the word DAY blind-stamped on spine; 193 pages; p. 191-192 and
last flyleaf have names and addresses; p. 193 is blank; acc. 98x93.3)
Folder 3: Daily Journal, May 7, 1889-Dec. 10,
1891;
kept in Crown
Point, [N.Y.];
The last few
pages of this volume records names and addresses of various people and
companies. The name [initials] Wood is
written on the front flyleaf.
(cloth
covers; pages not numbered; acc. 98x93.2)
Folder 4: Daily Journal, June 14, 1895-May 5, 1896;
Place not
recorded; a few addresses are found on last page;
(marbled
covers; pages not numbered; acc. 98x93.4)
Folder 5: Daily Journal, Nov. 15, 1907-Dec. 31,
1908;
Kept in West
Gardner, Mass.
(cloth
covers; 300 pages, p. 300 is blank; acc. 98x93.5)
Folder 6: Daily Journal, Sept. 18, 1909-June 25,
1910;
Place not
recorded;
(cloth
covers, with the word Journal printed on the front cover; 208 pages; acc.
98x93.6)
Folder 7: Daily
Journal, Dec. 17, [1914]- Aug. 16, 1915;
Place
not recorded;
(cloth
covers; 200 pages, but p. 199-200 are blank; acc. 98x93.7)
Box 2:
Folder 1: Daily Journal, April 15, 1916-Dec. 19, 1916;
Place
not recorded;
(cloth
covers, 200 pages; acc. 98x93.8)
Folder 2: Bills, 1909-1913: (acc. 98x93.9-.30):
.9 King
& Eisele, Buffalo, N.Y., Oct. 1, 1909, for unspecified merchandise;
Printed and illustrated
billhead: Ring makers, wholesale jewelers supply house, [etc.], illustrated
with view of a ring;
.10 J.R. Wood & Sons, New York, April
22, 1910: paid on account;
Printed billhead:
diamond cutters, wedding ring makers;
.11 R. Wallace & Sons M’f’g Co.,
Wallingford, Conn., April 20, 1911: punch ladle;
Printed and illustrated
billhead: silversmiths; with view of factory and picture of stag head trademark;
.12 Ripley Howland Manufacturing Co., Boston,
Sept. 6, 1913: Tif guard ring;
Printed billhead: makers
of diamond mountings and rings;
.13 C.B. Barker & Co. Limited, New York,
Sept. 10, 1913: New Davis F.S. Ndls.;
Printed billhead: sewing
machine supplies, needles, belting & oils
.14 Ripley Howland Manufacturing Co., Boston,
Sept. 15, 1913: carbuncle ring;
Printed billhead: makers
of diamond mountings and rings;
.15 Cross & Beguelin, New York, Oct. 3,
1913: prs fld links;
Printed billhead:
American watches; diamonds, jewelry, tools and materials;
.16 C.B. Barker & Co. Limited, New York,
Oct. 28, 1913: oil;
Printed billhead: sewing
machine supplies, needles, belting & oils
.17a-c R. Wallace & Sons M’f’g Co., Wallingford,
Conn., Nov. 1, 1911: variety of silverware, napkin rings, table wares, shaving
set, hat and cloth brushes, etc.;
Printed and illustrated
billhead: silversmiths; with view of factory and picture of stag head trademark;
.18 Oscar E. Place & Sons Co.,
Providence, R.I., Nov. 1, 1913: paid on account;
Printed billhead:
importers and manufacturers of diamond rings;
.19a-c Globe Optical Company, Boston, Nov. 3, 1913:
for eyeglasses, receipts no. 56103, 56104, 56105;
Printed and illustrated
billhead: with picture of a globe
.20 Rogers, Lunt & Bowlen Co.,
Greenfield, Mass., Nov. 12, 1913: teas [spoons?], lemon forks;
Printed billhead:
silversmiths, with picture of trademark
.21 F.T. Lord Polish Company, Cambridge,
Mass., Nov. 17, 1913: paid on account;
Printed billhead;
.22 C.B. Barker & Co. Limited, New York,
Nov. 22, 1913: bobbins;
Printed billhead: sewing
machine supplies, needles, belting & oils
,23 Meyer & Gross, Newark, N.J., Dec. 12,
1913: paid on account;
Printed billhead: ring
makers and diamond importers;
.24-.26 J.W. Richardson & Co., New
York, Dec. 16, 20, and 22, 1913: charms, butts [buttons];
Printed and illustrated
billhead: pins, badgers, lapel buttons, charms; illustrated with knight on
horseback;
.27 Ripley Howland Manufacturing Co., Boston,
Dec. 23, 1913: emerald and pearl ring;
Printed billhead: makers
of diamond mountings and rings;
.28 R. Wallace & Sons Mfg Co.,
Wallingford, Conn., Dec. 31, 1913: paid on account;
Printed billhead: solid
silver ware, plate ware and fine cutlery;
.29 F.B. Rogers Silver Co., Taunton, Mass.,
Dec. 31, 1913: paid on account;
Printed billhead: silver
plated ware
.30a-j Boston and Maine Railroad, Gardner, Mass.,
Jan. 18-Aug. 30, 1913: freight bills, for clocks, glass, plated cutlery,
polish, etc.; not all bills have the year, but all were found pinned together;
Printed
forms
Folder 3: Bills, 1914, 1926, and no date (acc.
98x93.31-.52)
.31 Ripley Howland Manufacturing Co., Boston,
Jan. 7, 1914: emer. doublet ring;
Printed billhead: makers
of diamond mountings and rings;
.32 M. Freedman & Co., New York, Feb. 5,
1914: tie clasp, scarf pins, pendants, screws, lavaliers, necks [necklaces],
rings;
Printed billhead:
manufacturing and wholesale jewelers
.33 The Gorham Co., New York, Feb. 17, 1914:
tea spoons;
Printed billhead:
silversmiths, illustrated with trademark
.34 J.R. Wood & Sons, New York, March 3,
1914: 14k mtgs, sets;
Printed billhead:
diamond cutters, wedding ring makers;
.35 J.W. McVine, West Gardner, Mass., March
3, 1914: to Allison Mfg. Co.: enclosing check to settle account; stamped PAID;
Printed and illustrated
billhead: Jeweler, and graduate optician, fine repairing; illustrated with a
ring, a clock, a watch, and a diamond
.36 Reinhardt Manufacturing Company,
Providence, R.I., March 6, 1914: 1/6 dz Wald. #1428;
Printed billhead: makers
of chains, bracelets, and lockets
.37 M. Freedman & Co., New York, March 1,
1914: G.F. Bro [brooch] and gold pin;
Printed billhead:
manufacturing and wholesale jewelers
.38 C.N. Quimby, Boston, March 16, 1914:
eyeglasses;
Printed billhead:
optical goods at wholesale, Kryptoks a speciality
.39 Ripley Howland Manufacturing Co., Boston,
March 16, 1914: bib, scarf, and bar pins; bracelets, men’s sets, Waldeman vest,
brooches;
Printed billhead: makers
of diamond mountings and rings;
.40 Peckham Seamless Ring M’f’g Co., New
York, March 18, 1914: receipt for payment;
Printed
and illustrated billhead: solid gold solderless, plain rings, engraved and
children’s rings; illustrated, in red, with a plain ring, showing company’s
trademark
.41 F.B. Rogers Silver Co., Taunton, Mass.,
April 1, 1914: paid on account;
Printed billhead: silver
plated ware
.42 Harwood Brothers, Boston, April 29, 1914:
paid on account;
Printed billhead
.43 C.N. Quimby, Boston, May 1, 1914: paid on
account;
Printed billhead:
optical goods at wholesale;
.44 R. Wallace & Sons M’f’g Co., Wallingford,
Conn., May 13, 1914: spoons, forks, knives, in Athena and Andover patterns;
Printed and illustrated
billhead: silversmiths; with view of factory and picture of stag head
trademark;
.45 E. Ingraham Co., Bristol, Conn., June 1,
1914: Pathfinder watches;
Printed billhead: clock
manufacturers
.46 J.R. Wood & Sons, New York, July 9,
1914: 14k sig rgs [signet rings?];
Printed billhead:
diamond cutters, wedding ring makers;
.47 Bernard Rice’s Sons, New York, Sept. 3,
1914: Ash, Dk Cop [copper ashtray?];
Printed billhead: makers
of fine electro-plated hollow-ware and novelties, with picture of trademark of
Apollo Silver Co.
.48 Jewelers’ Security Alliance, New York,
July 28, 1914: receipt for payment of dues;
Printed form
.49 Colonial Silver Co., Portland, Maine,
Nov. 7 [no year]: statement;
Printed form;
.50 Excelsior Umbrella Mfg. Co., Boston, Nov.
29, [year unclear]: box;
Printed billhead:
umbrellas & parasols;
.51 J.W. Henry & Co., Providence, R.I.,
no date: pins;
Printed billhead: manufacturing
jewelers
.52 W.N. Potter Grain Co., Gardner, Mass.,
May 6, 1926: stove and nut coal;
Printed billhead
Folder 4: Miscellaneous items (acc. 98x93.53-
.53 small
photo of a woman, perhaps Mrs. McVine
.54 small
photo of a church
.55a-b two
postcards printed with the name and address of Mrs. John W. McVine
.56 “Magazine Game”: twenty-one clues to
names of magazines, for example, “Friend of John Alden” refers to Modern Priscilla; (typed)
.57 Pressed Wood Corporation, Gardner, Mass.:
printed suggestions of how to handle a plastic tray made by the company
(printed)