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: Mead, Edgar E., 1852-1927
Title: Papers
Dates: ca.1910-1950.
Call No.: Col. 711
Acc. No.: 03x155
Quantity: 63 items
Location: 34 J 4
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
Edgar E. Mead was a “dealer in antique furniture,
repairing & polishing” in Springfield, Massachusetts, ca. 1915-1940. Apparently, he took over the business of his
brother George W. Mead after George died in 1915. After Edgar Mead’s death in 1927, his wife
Hattie continued to run the business.
The Mead brothers were born in Vermont, Edgar in 1852,
George in 1853, the sons of Truman D. Mead.
Their mother was either Sarah Brow or Catherine Beebe. Before taking over his brother’s business,
Edgar E. Mead was listed in census records as a house painter; he was even so
listed in the 1910 census, although the collection has a bill dated 1908 on his
stationery as an antiques dealer. He
married Hattie Amelia Washburn in 1881.
They had three children: Rollin Edgar (born 1884), Ethel L. (1885-1906;
married Harry Robinson), and Gertrude Eunice (1891-1960, married Waldemar
Thornton Packard; he worked at a sawmill).
Hattie Amelia Washburn was born in 1859, the
daughter of Eliza Jane Lackore and Oscar Fitzland Washburn. In the 1860 census, her father was listed as
a watch maker. In the 1880 census, Hattie
Washburn and George and Edgar Mead were all listed as boarders in the same
house. Her occupation was servant, and
both the Meads were painters. Hattie
died in Goshen, Mass., in 1938.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
A small collection of letters, bills, and auction
advertisements pertaining to the businesses of Edgar and George Mead. The Meads sold and restored antique furniture
and mirrors. There are several letters
regarding shipment of goods; bills for items sold; a list of items sold in 1921;
a copy of Hattie A. Mead’s will (1929); a bill for brass furniture handles
purchased by Mead for use in his repair work; descriptions of items offered for
sale (one list in on the stationery of E.E. Mead, housepainter and hard wood
finisher, working in Springfield in the 1880s); and an undated inventory from
the estate of Gertrude E. Mead Packard.
Mrs. Packard’s estate included a number of old cars and trucks, a
sleigh, sap buckets, saws, lumber, pipes, thresholds, and a corn cutter; values
are given.
Also included in the collection is the work record
book for 1915 of Ernest C. Molinder, who repaired and cleaned furniture for
Edgar Mead. He did not record the
specific work done, but noted the number of hours he spent on such tasks as
“repair of 1 bandgou clock and 1 cherriton washstand.” Often the customer’s name is noted, but
sometimes the work was done “for the boss,” i.e. Mr. Mead. Another little memorandum book includes notes
on a sermon and notes about wallpaper. The collection includes auction notices,
antique dealers’ catalogs, and book advertisements. Lastly, there is a scrapbook with articles
from ca.1915-1930s about glassware, manuscripts, hooked rugs, and other such
items. A 1925 clothes catalog from
Filene’s Department Store was used for the scrapbook.
ORGANIZATION
The items are arranged by type, and then mostly
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 Peter L. Masi.
ACCESS POINTS
People:
Mead, George W., 1853-1915.
Mead,
Hattie Amelia Washburn, 1859-1938.
Molinder,
Ernest C. (Ernest Conrad), 1875-1942.
Packard,
Gertrude E. Mead, 1891-1960.
Margolis,
Nathan, 1873-1925.
Topics:
Advertisements – Antiques.
Antique dealers –
Massachusetts - Springfield.
Antiques - Repairing.
Wills - Massachusetts.
Inventories of decedents’ estates - Massachusetts.
Vehicles.
Auction catalogs.
Bills.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 34 J 4
All accession numbers begin with 03x155.
Folder 1:
memorandum books
.1 on cover: “Memoranda for your purse or
pocket”; with notes on a sermon and notes about wallpaper, whitewashing, red
damask (only 5 pages of notes)
.2 “Memorandum book on work done to Edg.
Mead’s shop on 171 Hancock St., Springfield, Mass., by Ernest C. Molinder, ano
1915”
Many of the entries have
the names of the customers (Mrs. Stevens, Mercy Hospital, Mr. H. Huck), while
others were “for the boss E.E. Mead.”
Mr. Molinder recorded what he did, and often gave a description of the
item worked on (“repair of 1 cherry serving table scraping and sandpapering” or
“putting in locks to a swell front bureau”), and gave the amount of time spent
on each project.
Folder 2: letters, bills, etc.
.3a-c stationery (three pieces): “Edgar E. Mead,
dealer in antique furniture, repairing & polishing,” printed to be used in
1920s
.4 letter to Mead from Mrs. A. J. Shores,
Hotel Marie Antoinette, New York City [bur written on stationery of Curtis
Hotel, Lenox, Mass.], no date: about shipping a melodeon;
With notes added by Mead
about the shipment, Oct. 16, 1920 [see also .24]
.5 to Mead from Henry M. Wriston,
Middletown, Conn., no date: about a bill received from George W. Mead, which
was dated Oct. 15, 1914; bill was for mahogany bed, repairs to chairs, and rush
seats for chairs.
On stationery of
Department of History, Wesleyan University;
On back: something about
Mrs. Hurlbert
.6 bill from George W. Mead to Charles
Parsons, 191-, for side board, Chippendale chairs, bureau, plain post and
fluted post beds, a bureau polished, and two mirrors;
Printed billhead: dealer
in antique furniture, furniture repairing and polishing
.7 bill from George W. Mead to Mr. Write,
191-, for mirror frame, tip talbe, rocker, Japanese stand, labor, and a mirror
plate;
Printed billhead: dealer
in antique furniture, furniture repairing and polishing;
On back: calculations
.8 bill from Edgar E. Mead to Charles
M.[?] Bosworth, 1908, for bureaus, inlaid table, mirrors;
Printed billhead: dealer
in antique furniture, furniture repairing and polishing;
the stationery
was printed for use in 191-, but the bill is dated 1908; it is possible that
this was something that was generated in the process of clearing up George
Mead’s estate
.9 letter from Nathan Margolis, Hartford,
Conn., May 20, 1910, to Edgar Mead: first time he has seen bill for the work
done, which was very satisfactory;
Printed letterhead:
designer and contractor of furniture in all periods, choice antique models
reproduced; importer of silver, china, glass, furniture and wall coverings,
oriental and domestic rugs and carpets
.10-.11 letter (.10) from Stadden’s Art
Shop, Springfield, Mass., May 23, 1911, to George W. Mead: encloses list of
goods on consignment at the shop;
List (.11) of goods on
consignment, including tables, low boy, mirrors, tip table, gate leg table,
chairs, card table, sideboard, high post bed, fall leaf writing desk, etc.
(Sheraton, Chippendale, Hepplewhite, Empire styles are mentioned)
.12 bill
from George W. Mead to Mr. Sauter, Nov. 1, 1914, for secretary and bureau
polished;
Printed
billhead: dealer in antique furniture, furniture repairing and polishing;
.13 bill from Edgar E. Mead to R. F. McElwan
of Holyoke, Mass., Feb. 1914: for repairs to mirror;
Printed
billhead: fine house painting in all its branches;
.14 bill from Edgar E. Mead to Mrs. W. B.
Bigelow, March 9, 1915, for finishing rocking chair;
Printed
billhead: dealer in antique furniture, furniture repairing and polishing;
.15 from Richter Furniture Co., New York,
Aug. 30, 1915, to Edgar Mead: about order for chairs to sell in Springfield;
Printed letterhead:
makers of fine mahagony [sic] chairs, sofas, beds, etc., reproductions in all
classic styles
.16 bill from Edgar E. Mead to Mrs. J. Damon,
Sept. 7, 1915, for repairs to secretary; apparently work was done in Oct. 1914;
Printed billhead: dealer
in antique furniture, furniture repairing and polishing; billhead was altered:
“George W.” was crossed out, and “Edgar E.” was written in;
On back: a list of
goods, dated July –August 1913, including secretary, table, sideboard, beds,
bureau, mirrors, stool, book case, etc. with note “paid in full Dec. 9, 1914”
.17 letter from W. G. Soule, Pittsburgh Plate
Glass Company, Boston, Nov. 19, 1915: what kind of mirror plates are wanted,
French or German?
Printed letterhead:
glass, mirrors, paints, brushes
.18 bill from Edgar E. Mead to Mrs. Charles
Parsons, Dec. 23, 1915, for beds, telephone table, palm stand, muffin stand;
Printed billhead: dealer
in antique furniture, furniture repairing and polishing
.19 short letter from W. B. Houghton,
Brattleboro, Dec. 25, 1917, to Mr. Mead: was check received?
.20a-c letter, with envelope, from Florence L. Church
(Mrs. Howard E.), Atlantic City, N.J., March 12, 1918: apology for delay in
sending check;
On illustrated
letterhead stationery of Craig Hall, a hotel in Atlantic City, with view of the
hotel; also the hotel’s envelope, decorated with thistles
.21 envelope addressed: “For the successor to
the Mead dealer in antiques and dealer of reproductions, Hancock Street,
Springfield, Mass.” with return address of E. T. Slocum, Providence, R.I.,
postmarked Oct. 27, 1918
.22a letter, to Mrs. Mead, from S. W. Simpson,
New York, Jan. 3, 1920: sending her a check because cannot remember lawyer’s
name;
With drafts of Mrs.
Hattie A. Mead’s reply: check received;
.22b letter [probably a draft], to Mr. &
Mrs. S. W. Simpson, from Hattie Mead, Springfield, March 17, 1920: about
selling some property; it’s snowing; well but not yet strong;
Written on back of
printed billhead of Edgar E. Mead, dealer in antique furniture, [etc.]
.23 deposit slip: Edgar Mead deposited into
the Chicopee National Bank, Springfield, April 20, 1920: several checks
(includes names and amoutns)
.24 short letter from Mrs. J. Julian
McGie[?], Oct. 5, 1920, to Edgar Mead: about shipment of Mrs. A. J. Shores’
melodeon to Chicago [see also .4]
.25 bill from The E. Howard Clock Company, Boston,
Dec. 28, 1920, for movements with dials, pendulums, weights and hands; dial
doors with glasses; side brackets and door latches;
Printed and illustrated
billhead: “Finest Tower Clocks in the World,” with illustration of a street
clock
.26 short letter from The E. Howard Clock
Company, Boston, Dec. 30, 1920: check received and shipment will be soon;
Printed letterhead:
makers of best clocks for three quarters of a century
.27a-b letter, with envelope: Harriet C. (Mrs. John
D.) Barrows, Brattleboro, Vermont, April 27, 1921, to Mead: hopes to be able to
remove her furniture from his business about May 1: rush bottomed chairs,
mahogany chairs, and a small table; also, does he have a small chest of drawers
for sale?
On
back of envelope is a name and telephone number
.28 short letter from Harriet C. (Mrs. John
D.) Barrows, Brattleboro, Vermont, no date: check enclosed
.29 list
of amount sold in 1921; gives names and amounts (almost $2000 for the year);
On printed billhead of
Edgar E. Mead, dealer in antique furniture, [etc.]
.30a-b letter, C. W. Ives, New Haven, Conn., June 3,
1824, to Mead: offering items for sale: plates, pipe tongs, prints (Currier
& Ives mentioned), glass, furniture (describes pieces), decorated trays,
and “various other items”
.31 bill from A.H. Eaton, Collinsville,
Conn., Aug. 23, 1924; for jamb hooks, complete ovals, head posts, plate, bails,
posts;
Printed billhead:
manufacturer of brass reproductions for colonial furniture, any style old
handle duplicated to order
.32 circular letter from E. Guerin, The
French Antiques Co., Inc., New York, Feb. 26, 1929: list of items for sale,
chiefly furniture, also andirons, silk, mirrors, coffee set, and doors
.33 list labeled as “what Edgar Mead
inventory of 1926 Oct. 28 1923 antiques stored at R. E. Mead,” mostly
furniture, with two mirrors and one silver candlestick; values given for all
except the candlestick;
Written on stationery of
Raymond R. Bill & Co., West Springfield, Mass., but no reason to think the
list has any relation to that company
.34 typed copy of will of Hattie A. Mead,
dated Feb. 15, 1929, with bequests to grandson Harold W. Robinson [son of Ethel
Mead Robinson], son Rollin E. Mead, and daughter Gertrude E. Packard
.35 bill from Paul B. Volk & Sons, Boston,
no date but payment received Nov. 21, 1944, to Mrs. W. T. Packard,
Williamsburg, Mass., for a 1872 California gold half dollar
Printed billhead, with
seals of Boston Numismatic Society and American Numismatic Association
.36 list: “dishes with Dr. Syntax,” no date;
On printed billhead of
E.E. Mead, house painter and hard wood finisher, graining, glazing, kalsomining
and papering
.37 notes about Mrs. S. C. Hamilton, Newark,
N.J. –what she wants, whom she knows
.38 list: “estate of Gertrude E. Packard,”
not dated; included 4 or 5 Stanley Steamers and a bus, a 1924 Essex, a sleigh,
sap tanks and buckets, merry-go-round and band saws, two junk Oldsmobiles, an
old Ford pickup, lumber, mowing machine, corn cutter, pieces of cast iron sewer
pipe and thresholds, etc.
.39 list
of flasks, calabash 0r pear shaped bottles, and odd bottles, no date
Folder 3:
publications, advertisements, and dealers’ lists
.40a-b Advertising
Antiques, issued April 1925 by Antiques, Inc. [publisher of Antiques, the magazine], with postcard
to use for an advertising contract
.41 “Auction: Antiques and Fine Home
Furnishings in the home of Miss Matilda K. Orr, Amherst, Mass., July 24-25,” no
year (but during a time when daylight saving time was being used). George H.
Bean, auctioneer
.42 “Catalogue of Armorial Illuminated
Documents, Armorial Seals & Tassie Gems,” for sale by The Century House
Antique Galleries, London, no year
.43-.45 three
illustrated pamphlets about auctions to be held by L.J. Gilbert, auctioneer, in
Lebanon, Pottstown, and Reading, Penn., April, May, and Oct. 1928
.46-.47 two
illustrated pamphlets about auctions of estate of L. J. Gilbert, in Lebanon,
Penn., May 1944 and June 1949
.48 flyer: “How to Become A Coin Collector,”
issued by Guttag Brothers, New York
.49 flyer: “To Collectors of Rare Prints,”
issued by Warren A. Weaver, as advertisement for his book Lithographs of N. Currier and Currier & Ives
.50 flyer:
advertisement for the book American
Pewter by J. B. Kerfoot
.51a-b invitation from Import Antique Corporation,
New York, to Mrs. Hattie A. Mead, to visit the company’s galleries; envelope is
postmarked Sept. 13, 1930
.52a-i advertising flyer of Lewis, Son & Munves, New York, with loose pages of
photos of some of the business’ stock
.53 envelope
printed for The Magazine Antiques,
New York
.54-.56 lists
of antiques from stock of Martha Jane’s in Marcellus, New York; .54-.55 are not
dated, .56 is dated march 2, 1931; .54 is two pages and notes that the store
also sold chocolates
.57 advertisement, with photos, for Pavel,
Lindemann & Co., New York City, no date
.58 advertisement for auction of collection
of Mrs. R. G. Trask of Springfield, Mass, to be held June 2, 1915; from
auctioneer C. A. Terry
.59-.62 lists of furniture, prints, and
other antiques available from Whitlock’s Book Store, New Haven, Conn.;
.59a-c:
dated Oct. 10, 1929;
.60a-c:
dated Feb. 24, 1930;
.61a-g:
not dated, but is for a “removal sale”;
.62:
not dated, page 5 only of the original list
Folder 4:
scrapbook
.63 scrapbook, with articles from ca.1915-1930s,
about glassware, manuscripts, hooked rugs, and other such items.
A 1925 clothes
catalog from Filene’s Department Store was used for the scrapbook. Most of the pages are completely, or almost
completely, covered with the articles so little of the original catalog can be
seen.