Albums & Journals from Eclectibles

Washington, D.C.: William Duff Hanie, 1887. Very good. Letter folds, toning.. Typewritten letter on official letterhead, signed by the Acting First Asst. Postmaster-General William Duff Haynie, informing Walter Raymond, Esq. that his request to rename the a local post office has been approved. Raymond, a Boston businessman, became known for founding a luxurious resort hotel in South Pasadena,… Read more about this item

United States, 1903. A detailed inventory and record book spanning the dates 1903 and 1906, appearing to have belonged to a firefighter or building manager tasked with safety management. Largely recorded in ink manuscript, the book begins with an inventory of fire safety equipment (e.g. "Fire pails"; "Automatic fire doors"; "Sprinkling heads") and continues by recording the amount of… Read more about this item

Cincinnati, Ohio: Warner Elevator Mfg. Co, 1893. Good. Toning, letter folds. Circular with short closed tear, modern tape repair. A sales letter promoting the Warner Elevator Mfg. Co. to a potential customer, together with the original illustrated circular it was enclosed with. Printed on company letterhead illustrated with images of the company's founder and their products. Marketed as… Read more about this item

England, 1914. Fair. Spine lacking, worn, boards detached.. A sweet friendship WWI and post-WWI album inscribed "With love from Ethel 2nd to Ethel 1st For a birthday 1914". Ethel 1st appears to have been a popular and well-liked woman, as the many entries from friends attest, dating well into the 1930s. Includes inside jokes, humorous verses, and several… Read more about this item

Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1829. Good to very good. Toning, staining/spotting.. A handwritten medical bill in ink made out to "Widdow [sic] Hannah Blakeslee" from "R. Cook" for "medical services for self" from September 16th, 1825 until April 21st, 1829, totaling $14.42, and noting already received payment for medical services rendered to Gerry Blakeslee for $9.00. Located at Plymouth. Manuscript… Read more about this item

Washington, D.C., 1898. Very good. Toned, letter folds. Tears to envelope.. Typewritten letter on official United States Senate letterhead signed by Senator Arthur Pue Gorman of Maryland, responding to a query from 1st Lieut. Owen Norris of Easton, Maryland. Norris had requested Gorman's assistance raising a unit of volunteers to serve in the Spanish-American War. Gorman (1839-1906) was… Read more about this item

England, 1840. Very good. Toned, letter folds.. A humorous handmade Valentine, made from two hand-colored characters cut from an etching (a barber brandishing a razor, and a man in night shirt and night cap). The manuscript inscription reads: "Good Morning valentine. Ye virgins that hear, learn [?] from this / take care how too freely you part with… Read more about this item

Germany, 1861. Very good. Minor dust soiling.. An embossed and chromolithographed token of friendship card, featuring a small leaf in the center secured with silk cord, and a small wax seal. Dated 20 February 1861, it has lines of verse in German on the front in ink manuscript, and another several lines on the verso with the title… Read more about this item

Abingdon, Illinois: Abingdon Trap Company, 1900. Very good. Toned. Ink bleed from blue ink used on letter.. Illustrated circular and sales letter on company billhead advertising mouse traps sold by the Abingdon Trap Co. Specifically promotes the "Diamond Joe Mouse and Rat Traps" line of products. Includes a photo of the traps in the box, as well as… Read more about this item

West Baden, Indiana: The West Baden Springs Company, 1904. Very good to near-fine. Light toning, letter folds, some wear and dust soiling to envelope.. Handwritten letter on illustrated letterhead for the West Baden Mineral Springs Company, "An Ideal Resort for Health and Pleasure". The letterhead depicts the hotel's luxurious and impressive turn-of-the-century architecture. The letter appears to be… Read more about this item

United States: Wanda Caderquist, 1928. Very good. Some dust soiling, toning, one or two minor stains. Rebound. A dreamlike and rather lovely manuscript created for "Jackie, a dear little girl" by a loving adult in her life, Wanda Caderquist, with original pen and watercolor artwork by "E.M.W.". The original watercolor frontispiece depicts a little raven-haired girl (perhaps Jackie?)… Read more about this item

Nokomis, Illinois, 1866. Good to very good. Dust soiling, some short tears.. Handwritten letter with a fine example of calligraphic drawing depicting a bird in flight holding an olive branch. The letter itself is from a farmer's son to his friend, asking what the friend is studying and relaying family news and offering the above artwork, "a specimen… Read more about this item

[Danbury, Connecticut?], 1870. Good. Toned, staining, binding worn, a couple pages excised.. A manuscript account book kept by someone who appears to be in charge of a mid-size farm, most likely in Danbury, Connecticut. Records payments towards goods, services, and especially labor, organized by contractor. One individual, "Sanford", is paid to resole and mend shoes for several individuals… Read more about this item

Lawrence, Massachusetts, 1865. Very good. A couple leaves loose, minor dust soiling. A large collection of weaving patterns for machine-made twill, cloaking, coating, and cassimere textiles recorded by John B. Remick (b.1840) of the textile mill town Lawrence, Massachusetts. Includes dozens of patterns, most with labels such as "Diamond Coating" or "Harness Double Twill", arranged in the form… Read more about this item

United States: The Narcisses Club, 1930. Very good. Minor toning, spotting, one or two nicks to edges.. What appears to be a tongue-in-cheek fictional speech given at a meeting of "The Narcisses Club" in which one of the governing members relates faux news to the others: "We are going to have an entertainment as well as a social… Read more about this item

Album of sewing samples by Miss G. C. Ayres. United States, c.1900. 4to album (9.25" by 7.5"). Approx. 75 blank leaves bound in original three quarter sheep and marbled paper sides. Contains approx. 18 sewing samples, with at least two appearing to be missing. Techniques/features include: running stitch; folding paper for narrow hem, Canvas and worsted -… Read more about this item

United States, 1945. Very good. Minor dust soiling with the occasional small stain, spine chipped and worn.. An utterly delectable children's story with original artwork about two young people, Nick and Nan, "lovers atop a strawberry tart, Dancing and singing with love in their hearts". Includes original watercolor artwork for a title-page, upper cover, and thirteen full-page illustrations… Read more about this item

New Bedford, Massachusetts: New Bedford Textile School, 1929. Good to very good.. A collection of hundreds of textile samples, weave pattern charts, and highly technical handwritten notes on the textile manufacturing process, all contained within two books belonging to Walter Hampson (dates unknown), a student at the New Bedford Textile School in Massachusetts. Together, the two books provide… Read more about this item

Paris, France: Marquise de Sevigne, 1930. Near-fine. Some toning, dust soiling. Surface wear to covers.. An exquisite and extensive salesman's sample book of twenty-two (22) luxury chocolate box cover designs, produced in France for the Parisian chocolatier and confectioner Marquise de Sevigne. Each sample is accompanied by a typewritten stock label with its model name, number, price, and… Read more about this item

Hall City, Florida: Dr. Geo. F. Hall, 1911. Good to very good. Tape repair to upper left-hand corner. Toned, letter folds, one or two short tears.. Illustrated letterhead from the office of George F. Hall, featuring imagery of the local citrus (Caloosahatchee Grapefruit) and local farm land. Hall was a retired minister and Chicago native who founded Hall… Read more about this item