Vintage Architectural Stationery Vignettes

The images below are from Columbia University’s collection of commercial stationery, featuring architectural illustrations and gorgeous typography for factories, warehouses, mines, offices, stores, banks and hotels. Industries in this album of architectural stationery vignettes range from livestock, textiles, printing, roofing, and brewing to wagon works, cordage and merchandising.

 

Columbia’s Robert Biggert Collection of printed ephemera contains over 1,300 items with architectural imagery spanning 1850 to 1920, in more than 350 cities and towns in 45 states, as well as the District of Columbia and US possessions.

The underlying documents around these designs are envelopes, invoices, letters, postcards, shipping records and related business and advertising letterhead ephemera from the mid-1800s to the 1930s.

 

Manufacturers of Waldorf and Dragon brand food products. Pickles, vinegar, mustard, catsup, preserves, mince meat and other fine table condiments. Branch factories and salting works

 

“The Robert Biggert Collection of Architectural Vignettes on Commercial Stationery was donated to the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library by Robert Biggert in honor of Lisa Ann Riveaux. This unique collection of printed ephemera contains over 1,300 items with architectural imagery spanning the dates 1850 to 1920, in more than 350 cities and towns in forty-five states, as well as the District of Columbia and U.S. possessions. The collection’s billheads, letterheads, envelopes, checks, and business cards document the rise of the United States as an industrial nation, in often elaborate vignettes of factories, warehouses, mines, offices, stores, banks, and hotels.”

“Dear Sir;-

I regret exceedingly to report that my wife has a very painful carbuncle on the side of her head, which is very stubborn, and no doubt it will detain us here until Wedensday or Thursday morning. We had made every arrangement to leave Phila. to-morrow at 8.20am.

The writer will wire you on Wednesday next, or sooner, when you may expect us. As we have said before we are looking forward to enjoying your lovely resort but it would be most imprudent to leave home as conditions are at the present time.

With best wishes, I remain,
Yours truly,

Wm S Taylor”

 

The largest carriage factory in the world. Buggies, surreys,
phaetons, driving wagons, spring wagons, delivery wagons + carts

 

Onion sets, bulbs, grass seeds, market garden trade a specialty.
While we exercise the greatest care to have all seeds pure and reliable,
we sell no seeds with warranty, expressed or implied in any respect,
and are not in any way responsible for the crop. If the purchaser does
not accept the seeds on these terms, they must be returned at once

 

 

 

Manchester Beef Co. (Manchester, New Hampshire) 1893
Commission Merchants in Swift’s Western Dressed Beef. Mutton lamb,
veal, tongues, tripe &c. Poultry a Specialty. Telephone Connection

 

Contractors to the Government
Rope, yarn, wick, waste, bags, twine, excelsior, moss, oakum, nets,
wadding, batts, awning stripes, burlaps, flags, hammocks & cotton duck

 

Clay working machinery, fuel oil engines, Liberty lathes,
bakery machinery, ship deck machinery, cement machinery,
rotary dryers, industrial locomotives, steel and grey iron castings.
Direct connections with all telephone & telegraphic services

 

Sole agents for French plate glass companies
– crystal sheet 21&26 ounces – and Valentine’s
varnishes. Doors, windows and blinds, wallpaper,
moldings etc. Terms cash – payable in U.S. gold coin

 

The Leader guarantees the largest circulation of any paper in its field. Carbondale
typographical union label. Job promptly executed. Book and mercantile printing

 

The Crest brand of canned goods will convince the public of their
superiority by trial of them. Teas and coffees specialties. All claims for damages
or deduction must be made within FIVE days after receipt of goods. We will make
no allowance for swells in canned goods after 30 days from the date of purchase

 

Via: Biggert Collection of vintage architectural vignettes and ‘Architectural Vignettes on Commercial Stationery’, by Robert Biggert