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:         Marshall & Chipman Drug and Department Store (Georgetown, Del.)        

Title:               Decals

Dates:             1926-1929

Call No.:         Col. 672

Acc. No.:        02x111

Quantity:       

Location:        34 J 4

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

The decals were sent to Marshall & Chipman of Georgetown, Delaware; this was a drug and department store.   Chipman was Dr. James Henry Chipman (1878-1927), a doctor and druggist.  Marshall was not identified.  The store was in the middle of Georgetown.

 

Decals came from the following companies: Patterson-Sargent, Felton-Sibley, Freeman-Gibson, and Lewis & Freeman.  Patterson-Sargent was based in Cleveland, Ohio.  It sold paints under the name BPS (for Best Paint Sold).  Felton-Sibley & Co. of Philadelphia made and sold paints.  Freeman-Gibson and Lewis & Freeman were based in Cleveland.  Lewis & Freeman sold craft supplies and unpainted furniture.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

A collection of decals and business letters sent to Marshall & Chipman Drug and Department Store of Georgetown, Delaware, in the 1920s.  The decals were to be used to decorate furniture.  They came with application directions.  The designs are mostly of flowers, but also include birds and windmills.  Some decals have prices on them (unclear whether these were prices from the 1920s, or were a later dealer’s prices).  The business letters contain catalogs of other decal designs.  There is also a sheet advertising “unpainted novelty furniture” which was intended to be painted and decorated with decals.

 

           

ORGANIZATION

 

Decals found together in an envelope were kept together, although the original contents of envelopes cannot be determined.

 

 

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:

            Patterson-Sargent Co.

Felton, Sibley & Co.

Freeman-Gibson Corp.

Lewis & Freeman. 

Decalcomania.

Decoration and ornament - Catalogs.

Handicraft.

Flowers in art.

Birds in art.

Windmills in art.

Furniture painting.

           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 34 J 4

 

 

All accession numbers begin with 02x111.

 

 

Folder 1: BPS furniture transfers from Patterson-Sargent Co.

 

.1         folder, with color pictures of the furniture transfers (decalcomania) on one side (flowers, ships, birds, children, Oriental scene), and instructions for applying on the other side

 

 

 

Folder 2: Felton-Sibley & Co.

 

.2a, f    folder with black-and-white images of decals (mostly flowers, also windmill and a fairy)

 

.2b-e, g            same images as above, but the folder is folded differently and the paper is white, not cream

 

.2h       post card to use for ordering sets of decalcomania designs

 

.2i        typed circular letter from Felton-Sibley & Co., Philadelphia, March 22, 1926, which explained what came in a set of decals; one of the folders above was enclosed with the letter

 

.2j        envelope for above letter, addressed to Marshall & Chipman, Georgetown, Del.

 

 

 

Folder 3: Freeman-Gibson Corp.

 

.3a-r     decals found in an envelope (.3t) from Freeman-Gibson Corp.:

                        a: flowers, 164 A, 4988 (four on one sheet);

                        b-e: a scene, 2227, from American Decalcomania Co., Chicago [but found with the Freeman-Gibson decals);

                        f-i: flowers, 3342;

                        j-m: flowers, each strip different, 102 A, B, C, D; only 102 B is marked American Decalcomania Co., Chicago;

                        n-r: vase of flowers, 1674 [see also folder 12]

 

.3s        glassine envelope which came with the decals

 

.3t        envelope which held all these

 

 

 

Folder 4: Lewis & Freeman

 

.4a       circular letter, including color catalog of designs, from Lewis & Freeman, Cleveland, Ohio, Sept. 6, 1928; most of the designs are flowers, but also included are parrots, fairies, Oriental scenes, babies and toddlers; on back is a promotion advising that “decals will increase paint and brush sales”; front page of circular includes view of the Lewis & Freeman store

 

.4b-c    two copies of mostly color catalog of “Decorative Transfer Pictures,” many florals, but also a ship, parrots, toddlers, automobile initials, a dragon, etc.; back page has designs in black-and-white, and includes a picture of furniture decorated with decals

 

.4d       flyer for “Unpainted Novelty Furniture,” which could be painted and decorated with decals; includes tables, books cases, hanging shelves, and a spinning wheel

 

 

 

Folder 5: Set 1 [see Felton-Sibley catalog]

 

.5a-f     Set 1: flower sprays or garlands, no. 44, dated Jan. 22, 1929, made in Philadelphia by National Decalcomania Corp., but appears to be design 1 from Felton-Sibley catalog

 

.5g       envelope for the set, with application instructions

 

 

 

Folder 6: Set 4 [see Felton-Sibley catalog]

 

.6a-j     Set 4: flowers in vases, two sizes, no. 36, made in Philadelphia by National Decalcomania Corp., but appears to be same as design 4 in Felton-Sibley catalog

 

.6k       envelope for the set, with application instructions

 

 

 

Folder 7: Set 4 [but not Felton-Sibley set 4]

 

.7a-f     Set 4: silhouette of girl playing harp, no. 2270

 

.7g       envelope which held the decals, with application instructions

 

 

 

Folder 8: Set 6 [see Felton-Sibley catalog]

 

.8a-b    Set 6: bouquet of tulips, no. 126, made in Philadelphia by National Decalcomania Corp., but appears to be same as design 6 in Felton-Sibley catalog

 

.8c       envelope which held the decals, with application instructions

 

 

 

Folder 9: Set 10 [see Felton-Sibley catalog]

 

.9a-l     Set 10: different scenes with windmills, in three sizes, no. 340, 341, 342, 343,

 

.9m      envelope which held the decals, with application instructions

 

 

 

Folder 10: Set 891 [see Lewis & Freeman catalog]

 

.10a-g  Set 891: sprays of lilies of the valley, some also with tulips, no. 126, .10g marked [cut off] in Germany, Nurnberger Abziehbilder-Fabr[cut off]

 

.10h     paper bag which held the decals

 

 

Folder 11: Set 1477

 

.11a-j   Set 1477: sprays of lilies of the valley

 

.11k     paper bag which held the decals

 

 

 

Folder 12: Set 1673 [from Freeman-Gibson Corp.]

 

.12a-d  Set 1673: vase with flowers [see also .3n-r, no. 1674, in folder 3, which was used to identify this as a Freeman-Gibson Corp. product]

 

.12e     envelope which held the decals

 

 

 

Folder 13: Set 1674 [from Freeman-Gibson Corp.]

 

.13       Set 1674: envelope only [see also .3n-r, in folder 3, which are decals numbered 1674]

 

 

 

Folder 14: Set 1739 [apparently from Freeman-Gibson Corp.]

 

.14a-c  Set 1739: vase or basket with flowers

 

.14d     application instructions, including directions for applying pictures on cloth

 

.14e     envelope which held these decals; the envelope is numbered 1741, but the decals are numbered 1729

 

 

 

Folder 15: Set 2134

 

.15a-n  Set 2134: compote with fruit

 

.15o     envelope which held the decals

 

 

 

Folder 16: Set 2251 [see Lewis & Freeman catalog]

 

.16a-b  Sort no. 2251: flowers in basket

 

.16c     envelope which held the decals

 

 

 

Folder 17: Set 2252 [see Lewis & Freeman catalog and BPS catalog]

 

.17a-c  Sort no. 2252: flowers in basket

 

.17d     envelope which held the decals

 

 

 

Folder 18: Set 3045

 

.18a-g  Set 3045: small sets, with birds, butterflies, and flowers

 

.18h     envelope which held the decals

 

 

 

Folder 19: Set 3351 [that is number on back of decals, although envelope is labeled Set 4; see Lewis & Freeman catalog]

 

.19a-d  Set 3351: floral sprays; two sheets are labeled [cut off]rik Troeger & Bucking

 

.19e     envelope, with application instructions, which held the decals, labeled Set 4

 

 

 

Folder 20: Set 3656  [see BPS catalog]

 

.20a     Set 3656: parrot; numbered on back: 18062 and 5058

 

.20b     envelope which held the decal

 

 

 

Folder 21: Set 3671  [see Lewis & Freeman catalog]

 

.21a-g  Set 3671: two different exotic birds, both with long tail feathers

 

.21h     envelope which held the decals

 

 

 

Folder 22: Set 3676  [see Lewis & Freeman catalog]

 

.22       Set 3676: floral spray

 

 

 

Folder 23: Set 3691  [see Lewis & Freeman catalog]

 

.23a-b  Set 3691: basket of flowers, marked Made in Germany

 

.23c     envelope which held the decals

 

 

 

Folder 24: Set 13505 A, 4988  [see Lewis & Freeman catalog]

 

.24a-b  Set 13505 A, 4988: parrots in tree

 

.24c     envelope which held these decals; envelope marked 39503, which is a similar design to decals 13505 A, 4988