The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

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)