The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, DE  19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:         Mendsen, Thelma Seeds                                             

Title:               Collection

Dates:             ca. 1823-ca.1920, bulk ca.1880-ca.1910

Call No.:         Col. 669

Acc. No.:        70x1, 70x38, 70x130, 71x72, 71x247

Quantity:        58 volumes, 53 boxes, 3 folders

Location:        37 C 1-6, D-E 1-8, map case 2, drawer 8

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Thelma Seeds Mendsen was an artist and an antique buff.  She was born in Salem, Ohio, on August 4, 1905, the daughter of William and Jeannette Pringle Seeds.  She attended the Cleveland Arts Institute and hoped to become an illustrator of children’s books.  She married John C. Mendsen on August 8, 1929.  They moved to New York, where he worked for the Grace National Bank, and they lived in Locust Valley with their only child, a daughter.  Mrs. Mendsen designed greeting cards for the card company Fravessi-Lamont Inc., but never realized her dream of illustrating books.  She was also active as a U.S.O. worker, a Girl Scout leader, and in other civic organizations.

 

Thelma began collecting scrapbooks in the 1930s after two ornately-covered scrapbooks in a friend’s home caught her attention, and she became intrigued with the contents.  She donated the bulk of her collection of scrapbooks, trade cards, greeting cards, and other paper ephemera to the Downs Collection before she and her husband returned to Salem, Ohio, in 1972.  The Salem Historical Society also holds a small part of her collection.  She died on December 21, 1974.  John Mendsen died in December 1978.   

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

The collection consists of scrapbooks (mostly from the 19th century) and samples of trade cards, greeting cards, religious cards, rewards of merit, calling cards, and scraps.  The scrapbooks were ones that Mrs. Mendsen collected, but they were not assembled by her.  The samples of cards were collected by Mrs. Mendsen; they are arranged by type, such as greeting cards, rewards of merit, trade cards, etc.  The trade cards are further arranged by subject of item being advertised, such as beverages, medicines, stoves, etc.  Originally, these sample cards were organized into albums by Mrs. Mendsen.  However, as the albums were not in good condition, they were disassembled, and the items rehoused individually, maintaining the order in which Mrs. Mendsen had the items.  Key Albums A and B, which were intended to be indexes to the other albums, were maintained as she had them, but the cards were remounted on acid-free paper.

 

In addition, the collection includes postcards, unmounted greeting cards and trade cards, and other odds and ends of printed materials, such as a few small etchings, pictures from magazines and newspapers, and miniature books, some of which are in Spanish.  Many of the postcards are greeting cards, either general greetings, for birthdays, or for various holidays, including Thanksgiving, St. Patrick’s Day, and Independence Day.  However, a number of the postcards are pictures of various places, especially New York, and Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon Parks; some are humorous cards, and one group is printed with assorted first names.  The collection also includes a silverplated holder, probably designed for calling or trade cards, or perhaps a box of matches.

 

Key Album B (acc. 71x247.3) included two sample books from the Haverfield Publishing Co. of Cadiz, Ohio.  (These items are now housed separately, but are labeled as being from that album.)  The books show a variety of name cards (mostly hidden name cards), other small cards with sayings on them, and small envelopes.  Some cards are decorated with fringe.  A few are in shapes other than rectangles.  The larger book includes an example of scrap in addition to the cards. The sample books include stock numbers and prices.  Neither is dated, but one card includes a view of a Hall of Mines from some unnamed exposition.

 

 

ORGANIZATION

 

The materials are arranged in four series: Scrapbooks; Albums (which have been disassembled); Postcards; and Other materials.  An index to scrapbook acc. 70x1.1 is available in an Access database available at this repository.

 

The sample cards which were in albums are now arranged in four sizes of boxes: 4x5, 5x7, legal paper size, and oversize.  All items have been assigned accession numbers which reflect the number of the original album and the page number on which the item appeared, thus the card with the accession number 71x247.14.23b was in album 37 (acc. 71x247.14), on page 23, and was the second item on that page.  In order to see everything from a particular album, it will be necessary to look in the four sizes of boxes, although very few items are in the oversize boxes.  No finding aid describes the cards individually.  Most of the greeting cards from albums 15 and 16 are in oversize boxes.

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

Most of the materials are in English.  Some cards are in other languages, including French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

Collection is open to the public.  Copyright restrictions may apply.

 

 

PROVENANCE

           

Gift of Thelma Mendsen.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

            Haverfield Publishing Co. (Cadiz, Ohio).

            Greeting cards.

            Christmas cards.

            New Year cards

            Valentines.

            Easter cards.

            Birthday cards.

            Advertising fliers.

            Miniature books – Specimens.

            Paper dolls.

            Calendars.

            Patriotism – United States.

            Children’s literature, Spanish.

 

Scrapbooks.

            Trade cards.

            Calling cards.

            Rewards of merit.

            Postcards.

Sample books.

Scraps.

Advertisements.

Collecting cards.

Visiting cards.

 

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 37 C 2-5, D 1-9, E 1-7, and map case 2, drawer 8

 

 

Series I: Scrapbooks

 

70x1.1-.51       Scrapbooks, some with names and dates (see below for list of those)

 

Note: scrapbook acc. 70x1.21 includes several watercolors of flowers executed on the pages of the album; this album may have belonged to Jennie E. Beardslee, and bears the date 1882.

 

Further note: several scrapbooks bear notes typed by Mrs. Mendsen stating that she added cards to those albums to cover spots where other items had been previously removed.

 

70x1.52-.53     Post card albums, with holiday, view, and photo cards, mostly of American scenes, but some European as well, mostly early 20th century; one photo postcard in 70x1.52 commemorates a woman’s death in 1896.

 

71x247            Scrapbook covers (4 boxes)

 

71x247.28-.29             two scrapbooks without covers; .28 is about the Spanish-American War; .29 dates from ca.1850

 

 

List of scrapbooks with names or dates:

 

70x1.3             Robert L. Ahles, 1883

70x1.4             possibly belonged to Anna Skinner, contains remnants of a calendar for 1887

70x1.16           possibly belonged to Walter E. Joy, contains items dated 1886-1888.

70x1.18           Clara E. Smith, from Aunt Mary, 1880

70x1.21           may have belonged to Jennie E. Beardslee, dated 1882.

70x1.23           Emily H. Arthur

70x1.24           printed by Marcus Ward & Co. of London and Belfast; includes an item copyrighted 1892

70x1.27           includes a calendar for 1892

70x1.28           Millie Picket, from papa, 1877

70x1.29           Nellie A. Johnson, 1881

70x1.30           may have belonged to Alvira M. Stover

70x1.32           “Given to Phyllis M. Hargru[?] from Mrs. W. F. Tracy, August 19, 1929,” however the items in the album are from the late 19th century

70x1.36           Emily Veazie[?]

70x1.40-41      “old cards on new paper, Mrs. Munn, an antique dealer in Fairlee, Vermont, assembled this book in 1955.”  The covers, as well as the cards, are also old.

70x1.43           one card is dated 1886

70x1.44-45      “old cards on new paper, Mrs. Munn, an antique dealer in Fairlee, Vermont, assembled this book in 1955.”  The covers, as well as the cards, are also old.  The cards may have come from albums assembled by Mattie E. Stover and Addie M. Stover.

70x1.48           very probably belonged to Hattie F.[?] Baldwin

70x1.49           The owner, who was possibly Hannah Sloane, dated the greeting cards in the album, 1881-1887.   Includes Christmas, New Year, Easter, and a few Valentine cards.  One is a hand-painted Christmas card, received from F. J. Dorman[? Duncan?], 1882.  Also includes a pencil sketch of a beach party, by Jane.  The album itself was patented 1876.

70x1.51           The album itself is dated 1883, and includes materials about funeral of General U.S. Grant, 1885.

 

71x247.25       includes an item dated 1895

71x247.28       about Spanish-American War, 1898

71x247.29       from circa 1850

Series II: Albums

 

(Note: With the exception of Key Albums A and B, the albums have been disassembled and the contents are now in boxes, rather than albums.  However, the contents of each album remain filed together, although divided by size: small, medium, large, and oversize.  In addition, the silk fringe greeting cards from Albums 15-16 and the paper dolls from Album 23A are in separate boxes.)

 

71x247.1                     Key Album A: explaining the contents of albums 1-23A, with samples

 

71x247.3                     Key Album B, explaining the contents of albums 24-46; includes two sample books of calling cards (originally laid into back of album; now one is in its own pamphlet binder and the other is housed with other long folders of sample cards – see shelf)

 

70x130.1                     Album 1: religious cards (Bible cards):

general, map of Asiatic mission fields of the American Baptist Missionary Union, 1865 certificate of contribution for mission schools

 

70x130.2                     Album 2: religious cards:

poems and quotations from the Bible; printers’ uncut sheets of small cards; publishers and distributors; die-cut crosses, cards printed in England and Scotland

 

70x130.3                     Album 3: religious cards:

                                    publishers and distributors; foreign

 

70x130.4                     Album 4: religious cards and temperance cards:

publishers and distributors; temperance cards: gospel pledge, White Ribbon Army certificate, moral admonitions, etc.

 

70x130.5                     Album 5: rewards of merit; and fun and acquaintance cards

 

70x130.6-.9                 Albums 6-9: calling or name cards (calligraphic cards are in album 6)

                                    album 6: token of affection cards, calligraphic samples, general, hand-made, and an article “Hints of Etiquette”; four sample books of cards are extra-oversized and are filed separately;

                                    album 7: general, hidden-name cards, scrap decorated envelopes, metallic trimmed cards;

                                    albums 8-9: miscellaneous cards in alphabetical order

 

70x130.10                   Album 10: New Year, friendship, Valentine, birthday, and Easter cards

 

70x130.11                   Album 11: Christmas cards

 

70x130.12-.13             Albums 12-13: greeting cards arranged by publisher (mostly Christmas cards)

 

70x130.14                   Album 14: greeting cards published by Louis Prang

 

70x130.15-.16             Albums 15-16: greeting cards trimmed with silk fringe (mostly Christmas and New Year cards)

 

70x130.17-.19             Albums 17-19: album (or picture) cards, and prints

 

70x30.20                     Album 20: album cards and prints:

                                    presidents, dull [i.e. matte] chromos, glossy chromos

 

70x30.21                     Album 21: album cards and prints: miscellaneous subjects, costumes of period, scenes and flowers, flowers on black backgrounds, flowers, barnyard fowl, figures of people, very large prints, flowers, Currier and Ives(?) prints

 

70x30.21-A                 Album 21-A: album cards arranged by subject matter: people, children, birds, leaves, flowers, butterflies, chicks, birds and flowers, scenes, flowers (unused advertising cards), miscellaneous flowers and scenes, French buildings, Seven Wonders of the World, prints with captions, comic pictures (singles and in sets)

 

70x21.22                     Album 22: scrap pictures and pieces of scrap

                                    Subjects: figures; children; historical costumes; Dutch, Oriental, and flower girls; heads of babies, children, women; boating panels; author’s heads; scrapbook pages; religious subjects, cherubs, angels; Valentines; Saint Nicholas [and Santa Claus]; uniforms of soldiers and sailors; minstrels; humorous figures; circus; African animals; birds and bird nests; domestic and wild animals

 

70x21.23                     Album 23: scrap pictures and pieces of scrap

                                    Subjects: butterflies and insects; cats, dogs, horses; numeral and alphabets; John Gilpin; lacey panels with open centers; panels with boats, summer scenes, or winter scenes; round and oval panels with scenes; panels with greetings; flower panels; gold ornaments; fruits and trees; flowers; decorative crosses; small items with printed messages; “hidden name card” designs; uncut sheets of scraps

 

70x21.23-A                 Album 23-A: labels from yard goods and cosmetics (various advertisers);

juvenile items: card games, one page from a collage album, paper dolls (purchased and handmade), paper dolls with advertising, embroidery on cards, decals and transfers

 

70x130.24                   Album 24: advertising cards:

printers;

beverages (including coffee and tea); also articles about trade cards

 

70x130.25                   Album 25: advertising cards:

beverages (including chocolate, cocoa, root beer, Coca Cola and other sodas, champagne, wine);

food: baby foods, medicinal foods, meats, butcher’s helpers, lard, various spices, mustard, vinegar, flavorings, preserves, mincemeat, candies, confections, flour, cereals, etc.

 

70x130.26                   Album 26: advertising cards (national):

yeast, soda, baking powder

 

71x247.4                     Album 27: advertising cards (national):

laundry soaps, ammonia, scouring soap

 

71x247.5                     Album 28: advertising cards (national):

                                    Soap powders; bluings; starches; dyes; polishes; glues; inks

 

71x247.6                     Album 29: advertising cards (national):

                                    Toilet soaps; perfumes; colognes

 

71x247.7                     Album 30: advertising cards (national):

medicines and cure-alls: for hair, teeth, eyes, feet, throat, lungs, liver, kidneys, back; pain lotions and pain killers, liniment, salves, ointments

 

71x247.8                     Album 31: advertising cards (national):

                                    Medicines and cure-alls: dyspepsia and other ailments; tonics for body building; cures for ague

 

71x247.9                     Album 32: advertising cards (national):

                                    Shoe polishes and dressings; shoes; dress accessories (watches, umbrellas, kid gloves, hats, ostrich feathers, fans), corset; clothing (general merchandise, underwear, collars, cuffs, shirt bosoms, corset clasps, side and dress steels); dress patterns (Mme. Demorest); sewing notions; thread

 

71x247.10                   Album 33: advertising cards (national):

                                    Thread: J. & P. Coates; George A. Clark; Merrick Thread Co.; Willimantic Thread Co.

                                    George A. Clark cards further divided: Louis Prang cards, calendars, verse, Clark Factory, pocket calendars, European royalty, birds with verses

 

71x247.11                   Album 34: advertising cards (national): sewing machines; pianos, phonographs, etc.

                                    Sewing Machines: New Remington; Davis; Standard; American; Helpmate; Royal St. John; White; Wheeler & Wilson; New Home; Household; Domestic; Singer;

                                    Phonograph (Edison);

                                    Pianos, Organs (various advertisers) (see also album 35);

                                    Phonorium (Esty Organ Works)

 

71x247.12                   Album 35: advertising cards (national): household furnishings and equipment:

                                    Pianos, organ (various advertisers) (see also album 34);

                                    Stoves, ranges, furnaces (various advertisers)

 

71x247.13                   Album 36: advertising cards (national): household furnishings and equipment; outside equipment (garden, farm, etc.):

                                    Household furnishings and equipment:

                                    Folding chairs;

                                    Wringers;

                                    Ironware, cutlery, carpet sweepers, ice cream freezers;

                                    Cutlery, sad irons, clocks, folding beds, traveling bags;

                                    Outside equipment:

                                    Rat poison, disinfectant, horse salve, dog remedies, pain extractor;

                                    Garden seeds;

                                    Lawn mowers, scales;

                                    Fertilizers;

                                    Horse harness, blankets, etc., wagons;

                                    Harness soaps and dressing, varnish, paint;

                                    English song restorer; astral oil; swine breeder, incubators, farm and dairy separators;

                                    Grain and fertilizer drills, hay knives;

                                    Farming implements, plows, harrows, etc.;

                                    Pumps, windmills

                                   

71x247.14                   Album 37: advertising cards (national):

Insurance;

                                    Magazines;

                                    Newspapers;

                                    Stores in New York City and Boston;

                                    Hotels;

                                    Restaurants;

                                    Events;

                                    Places;

                                    Actors and actresses;

                                    Theatre events;

                                    Circuses, etc.;

                                    World’s Fairs and expositions

 

70x130.15                   Album 38: advertising cards (national): tobacco, foreign language ads:

                                    Cigar labels; cigar box labels;

                                    Cigarettes (Allen & Ginter; Allen Tobacco Co.);

                                    Cigars (American Tobacco Co., D. Buchner & Co., Buchanan & Lyall);

                                    Cigarettes (Murad College Series; S. Anargyros);

                                    Cigarettes, smoking tobacco, etc. (W. Duke Sons & Co.; coins series; stamps series)

                                    Tobacco, snuff, etc. (Munchausen poems; Gail & Ax);

                                    Cigarettes, cigars, etc. (national songs; actors & actresses, parts of series; Kinney Bros.);

                                    Foreign language ads

                       

 71x247.16                  Album 39: advertising cards (local): Beverages, groceries

                                    Teas, coffees, confectionery;

                                    Teas, coffees, groceries (p. 13-15 missing);

                                    Caterer, confectionery, stationery, baker, ice cream, cigars, popcorn;

                                    Confectionery, home made candies, ice cream;

                                    Bakeries;

                                    Dairies;

                                    Meat, fish;

                                    Liquors, tobacco;

                                    grocers

 

71x247.17                   Album 40: advertising cards (local): stationery, department stores, general merchandise:

                                    Stationery; books; cards;

                                    Printers, booksellers, stationers;

                                    Fancy goods;

                                    Wall paper; window shads; drugs; medicines;

                                    99¢ store, toys, games, jewelry’

                                    5¢ store; 5¢ and 10¢ store; 5¢-10¢-15¢ store;

                                    Department store (general merchandise);

                                    “compliments”;

                                    Fancy goods; annual statement, etc.;

                                    Miscellaneous ads

 

71x247.18                   Album 41: advertising cards (local): house furnishings; farm equipment:

                                    House furnishings;

                                    Furniture and carpets;

                                    General store;

                                    Wall paper, window shades, and miscellaneous;

                                    China, glass, mirrors;

                                    Lamps, china;

                                    Pianos, organs, sheet music, etc.;

                                    Trunks, picture frames, fancy goods;

                                    Stoves, gas fixtures;

                                    Stoves, coal, etc.;

                                    Farm equipment, seeds, etc.

 

71x247.19                   Album 42: advertising cards (local): Dry goods, clothing

                                    Dry goods, groceries;

                                    Dry goods, house goods;

                                    Dry goods, sewing machines, laces, notions, etc.;

                                    Dry goods, clothing, millinery, etc.;

                                    Clothing, etc.

 

71x247.20                   Album 43: advertising cards (local): clothing

                                    Clothing – merchant tailoring;

                                    Clothiers, hatters; Read-made clothing, furnishing goods;

                                    Notions, military gloves, corsets, etc.;

                                    Fancy dry goods, milliner, leather goods;

                                    Millinery; Hats, caps, furs; Hats, straw goods, silk hats, etc.;

                                    Gloves; gloves, umbrellas, fans, canes, parasols, etc.;

                                    Shoes; boots, shoes, rubbers, hats, slippers, trunks, satchels, ties, India rubber goods

           

71x247.21                   Album 44: advertising cards (local): services

                                    Tailors; merchant, tailor, clothiers, millinery, etc.;

                                    Chinese laundry, dressmaker, dry cleaning, etc.;

                                    Hairdressers, barbers, perfumes, cleaning, etc.;

                                    Photographers;

                                    Watch and clock makers, jewelers, etc.;

                                    Florists;

                                    Clairaudient, magnetic healer, surgeon, dentist, optician, apothecary, etc.;

                                    Apothecary, pharmacist, druggist;

                                    Plumber, upholsterer, painter, furniture repair;

                                    Builder, carpenter, stair builder;

                                    Engraving on wood, printers; printing; printers, bookbinders;

                                    Tombstones, marble and granite works;

                                    Livery stables

 

71x247.22                   Album 45: advertising folders and related items:

Food;

clothing and dress accessories;

sewing machines;

health and medicine;

perfume, etc.

 

71x247.23                   Album 46: advertising folders:

household and miscellaneous items (pianos, organs, quilts, chairs, stoves, ranges, window shades, soaps, polishes, bluing, mucilage, cement, lawn mowers, hammocks, paints, axle grease, scales, safes, separators, hay knife);

piano studios, movies, banks, stores, insurance companies, lodge programs;

excursions, events, ferry schedules, trains, steamships, hotels, college magazines, photographers

 

[71x247.24                  number not used]

 

71x247.25-.27             Albums A, B, C: old scrapbook pages with trade cards, pictures, scrap, etc.

 

71x247                        lithograph of a parade in London, ca.1841 (in Map Case 3, drawer 1)

 

 

Series III: Postcards

 

[Note: postcards are not necessarily in accession number order; the categories are those established by Mrs. Mendsen; there is overlap between the different categories; for example, some Raphael Tuck cards are filed in Boxes 1-2 under publisher, but many more are scattered throughout the collection in different categories of greeting cards]

 

 

Box 1: Publishers

Note: most of these cards are holiday greeting cards; other cards published by these same companies are filed under the various topics in other boxes

            Cards filed by publisher, A-Z (names of publishers are on index cards inside box);

            Publisher: International Art Pub. Co.;

            Publisher: John Winsch;

            Publisher: possibly John Winsch;

            Publisher: Raphael Tuck & Sons [continues in next box; additional Tuck cards are filed in other categories]

 

Box 2: Publishers and Artists; view cards

            Publisher: Raphael Tuck & Sons [continued from previous box; additional Tuck cards are filed in other categories]

Artist: Ellen Clapsaddle [holiday greeting cards; GAR card; mostly published by International Art Pub. Co.]

            Miscellaneous artists: Frances Brundage; E. Curtis; Dorothy Dixon; Dwig; P. Ebner; Katharine Gassaway; Alys Goss; A. Heinmuller; Fred C. Lounsbury; R. F. Outcault; M. C. Perley; C. Twelvetrees; C. K. von Sivers; R. T. Wealthy; plus one name difficult to read – perhaps Fred. Spurgin

                                    [designs by Ethel De Wees are filed under the publisher Ernest Nister, in Box 1 above]

                       

 View cards:

Cards from Detroit Photographic Co. (variety of places; only a few of Detroit);

            Cards copyrighted by W. R. Hearst, 1904 (“compliments of N.Y. Sunday American & Journal”);

Western United States (including Grand Canyon, California missions, Indian pueblos, Yellowstone National Park);

miscellaneous view cards (mostly northeastern U.S., but also Panama, Western U.S., Florida, Cuba, and other places; includes photo cards) (continues in next box)

 

Box 3: View cards

miscellaneous view cards (mostly northeastern U.S., but also Panama, Western U.S., Florida, Cuba, and other places; includes photo cards) (continued from previous box);

New York City, Brooklyn, Coney Island, Long Island;          

Advertisement view cards (the views are not necessarily of the business being advertised) (see also Advertisements in Box 6);

Factories and mills;

Occupations, city markets, amusements;

Events (picnics, parade, graduation, etc.);

Theaters, Museums, YMCAs, ball field, etc.;

Libraries

 

Box 4: View cards:

Hotels and inns;

Churches, meeting houses;

Hospitals, sanatoriums, retirement homes;

College and school buildings;

Monuments, statues, fountains, etc.;

Government buildings, prisons, post offices;

Horse-drawn vehicles (mostly city streets with wagons and carriages);

Firemen and fire engines (mostly horse-drawn);

Automobiles (mostly views of city streets or highways);

Street cars, elevated trains, electric cars, etc. (mostly street scenes, often including other modes of transportation as well);

Trains, tracks, train stations

 

Box 5:  View cards:

Aircraft, hot air balloons, dirigibles;  

Steamboats, ferries, harbor scenes (ocean, lake, river), ships; rowboats sailboats; boatyards;

Bridges (including pedestrian and railroad bridges), canals, locks, dams (see also rivers, lakes, waterfalls, mountains);

Lighthouses, Martello towers, life saving stations, seawalls;

Bathers, beaches, boardwalks, jetties along beaches, bathhouses;

Rivers, lakes, waterfalls, mountains, yacht clubs (see also bridges, canals, locks, dams);

            Scenes with people (mostly parks and street scenes; includes some ethnic cards);

U.S. military (Army, Navy, Marines), including forts, armory buildings, camp scenes, homes for old soldiers, World War I battle;

Disasters: floods, fires, earthquakes, cyclones;

Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, 1909);

Historical sites, homes of noted people, portraits of presidents;

Historical events (includes cards issued for the Hudson–Fulton Celebration; visits of Theodore Roosevelt; the Russo-Japanese War and the Portsmouth treaty negotiations);

photo-type comics [mostly manipulated photos showing extra-large fish, fruits, and vegetables];

 

Box  6: View cards and graphics:

Courtship scenes and comical cards with people, one of which also has new year’s greetings;

Photo cards: includes noted people, actresses (one copyrighted by Mack Sennett), comical scenes, family photos, homes, historic sites, animals, bathing beauties [see also Movie stars in Box 13];

Photo cards: greeting cards with photos of people or flowers,

 

Graphics:

Advertising: includes Buster Brown, Cracker Jack bears, holiday greeting cards used for ads, and other advertising items (see also Advertisement view cards in Box 3);

Monotone printing, most with some tinting; includes pictures of women and children; Easter and other holiday greetings;

            Soft-tone(?) printing, including many holiday greetings: New Year, Valentine, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas;

Leather, birch bark;

Mechanical: New Years (include calendars), Easter, and April Fool greetings;

Greetings in foreign languages: includes German, Russian, Hebrew, Irish Gaelic, and other languages (mostly Easter and Christmas cards);

People in ethnic costumes: Scottish, Irish, Japanese, Dutch, Native Americans

 

Box 7: Graphics:

            Oilettes or similar: includes views, reproductions of paintings, and holiday greetings;

New Year greetings: year, calendar, date, clocks, hourglasses;

            New Year greetings: people, animals, etc.;

New Year greetings: bells, horseshoes (for luck), clover (for luck), money (for prosperity);

            New Year greetings: scenes, flowers;

            Patriotic greetings: Lincoln, Washington;

            Patriotic greetings: Decoration Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, World War I patriotism, general patriotism;

            St. Patrick’s Day greetings;

 

Box 8: Graphics:

            Valentine greetings: flowers, etc.;

            Valentine greetings: cupids, Kewpies;

Valentine greetings: people, birds, animals;

            Easter greetings: flowers, bells, doves, people, etc.;

            Easter greetings: chicks, bunnies, lambs;

            Easter greetings: crosses and angels

 

Box 9: Graphics:

            Halloween greetings

Thanksgiving greetings: people, turkeys (mostly turkeys);

            Thanksgiving greetings: verse;

            Christmas greetings: bells;

            Christmas greetings: poinsettias;

Christmas greetings: holly, pine, mistletoe;

Christmas greetings: scenes and flowers (not poinsettias);

Christmas greetings: messages, verse, songs;

Christmas greetings: religious (nativity scenes, Mother and Child, angels);

Christmas greetings: people (many children)

 

Box 10: Graphics:

            Christmas greetings: Santa Claus;

            Christmas greetings: Santa Claus with children

            Christmas greetings: birds and animals;

Christmas greetings: miscellaneous;

Christmas greetings: reproduction cards;

Birthday greetings: general;

Birthday greetings: scenes and flowers;

            Birthday greetings: verses;

            Birthday greetings: people, animals;

 

Box 11: Graphics 

Greetings: Best Wishes, Sincere Wishes, Good Wishes, Good Luck;

Greetings: Congratulations;

Greetings: assorted

Greetings: assorted verses and songs;

Greetings: toasts, sayings;

Greetings: reminders, please write, hospitality thanks;

Greetings: language of flowers;

Greetings: from places

 

Box 12: Graphics

Greetings: names, including names for relatives (mother, etc.) and Friend;

Greetings: heavily embossed (includes holiday and birthday greetings, best wishes, etc.);

Greetings: embossed with special background (includes holiday greetings; some are embossed and have appliqués);

Greetings: embossed with metallic overcoating (includes holiday greetings and baby congratulations);

Greetings: appliqués, ribbon, metal, fabric, etc. [mostly holiday greetings; continues in next box]

 

Box 13: Graphics

Greetings: appliqués, ribbon, metal, fabric, etc. [mostly holiday greetings; continued from previous box];

Greetings: glitter applied [holiday greetings, cards from places, cards with names, wedding anniversary, embossed, views of places, etc.];

Graphics: animals, including a “puzzle card,” which has two different views;

Graphics: broad humor [includes ethnic cards];

Graphics: flowers [some with scenes, but no greetings];

            Graphics: cards with verses, signed by poet [list of poets in box];

Graphics: movie stars [see also photo cards of actresses in Box 6];

Graphics: pretty women and girls;

            Graphics: Sunbonnet Twins and similar figures;

            Graphics: Rally Day and Children’s Day invitations

 

 

 

Series IV: Other items

 

[Note: many of these are the same sorts of items, i.e. trade cards and greeting cards, as were found in the albums in Series II, but these items were not mounted into albums]

 

 

Box 1:             New Year cards, Valentines, Easter cards (acc. no. 71x72.188-.195, .1-18, .42-.47, .104-.187, .48-.59)

 

Box 2:             Christmas cards, birthday cards, general greetings, greeting and religious booklets (acc. 71x72.61-.78, .197-.208, .210-.237, .85-.100)

 

Box 3:             New Year, Valentines, Easter, and Christmas cards, miscellaneous booklets (acc. no. 71x72.196, .19.41, .60, .79-.84, .209, .238, .101-.103, .238)

 

Box 4:             Valentine, Easter, Christmas, and greeting cards (oversized and three dimensional) (acc. no. 71x72.239-.245)

 

Box 5:             miniature books, trade cards, advertising booklets, puzzle cards, etc. (acc. no. 71x72.145-384, passim)

                        Some of the miniature books are in Spanish and may be for children.  Others are in English and include stories by Rudyard Kipling and Edgar Allan Poe, although most of the authors are not well-known.

 

 

Box 6:            

 

Folder 1:         “Gems of Art and Poetry” (acc. 71x247.36a-p)

 

Folder 2:         miscellaneous printed items (acc. 71x247.37-.46), includes fashion plates, a menu, tickets, a dance card, ball invitation, program for memorial service for Queen Victoria, embroidery designs, etc.

 

Folder 3:         manuscript items (acc. 71x247.47-.53), includes Massachusetts tax bills, water bill, a telegram, a certificate of promotion from Boston Public Latin School, and a deed of sale from Vermont

 

Folder 4:         Royal Pudding boxes (acc. 71x247.54a-d), with biographies of movie stars

 

Folder 5:         printed folders (acc. 71x247.55-.59), blank inside

 

Folders 6-7:    pictures and engravings (acc. 71x247.60-.110)

 

Folder 8:         pictures of boats and ships (acc. 71x247.111-.126)

 

Folder 9:         publications for collectors of cards and postcards (71x247.127-.134)

 

Folder 10:       publications (acc. 70x1.54a-d), includes Arizona Post Card Exchange (1914), Koh & Co.’s Post Card Exchange Register (1909), and two almanacs (1889-90 and 1923)

 

Folder 11:       publications (acc. 71x247.135-.138), includes Methodist Almanac (1855), a poem entitled “Who Shall Be Greatest?”, view book from Panama- Pacific International Exposition (1915), and Madison Square Theatre program (1888)

 

Folder 12:       publications of American Tract Society and The Book Society (acc. 71x247.139-.142) (another publication of the American Tract Society is acc. 71x72.99, in Box 2 of this series)

 

Folder 13:       photographs (acc. 71x247.143-.144)

 

Folder 14:       large trade cards (acc. 71x247.197-.243, passim)

 

 

Box 7:

           

Folder 1:         advertising booklets (acc. 71x247.252-.290, passim)

 

Folder 2:         puzzle cards, cards that move, additional trade cards (71x247.350-.380, passim)

 

Folder 3:         Calendars (71x247.388-.390) (see also oversize box)

 

 

Box 8:             miscellaneous oversize items, including loose scrapbook pages, pictures, advertising folders, and newspapers (71x247.30-.35, .249-.250, .288, .391-.395, .396-.401)

 

Box 9:             card or matchbook holder (acc. no. 71x247.406)