We have just added some really cool late 19th century magazine articles with subjects such as Coney Island (from 1897), Bicycle Racing (1897), the Salmagundi Club (1897), Hypnotism by Santanelli (1896), the Work of the Art Students League of NY (1897), and many others.
We have just added some nice vintage catalogs: 1931 Vintage School Supplies Catalog; 1925 Bonwit Teller Gift Catalog; 1901 Montgomery Ward Mini Catalog; Antique Wheelbarrows & Scrapers Catalog; a fabulous Antique 1900 Butcher Supplies Catalog; and others.
We have also added some great old Victorian Trade cards.
We’ve just listed a fabulous Bellas Hess 1915 Antique Fashion Catalog for Men, Women & Children.
Bellas Hess was one of the large merchandise catalogs of its time, along with Sears, Alden’s, Spiegel, and Montgomery Ward. From what we gather, it began as National Cloak & Suit in the late 1800’s and was renamed Bellas Hess around 1910. In the mid 60’s Bellas Hess fought a bid by Illinois that was trying to force it to collect state sales and use taxes. The Supreme Court ruled with Bellas Hess; that a company had to have “nexus” with a state to be liable for the tax; otherwise, the taxes could not be imposed. That decision led to a period of huge growth in the mail order business. However, in spite of all that, Bellas Hess filed for bankruptcy in 1971 and eventually went out of business.
The catalog, now a piece of history, is fully illustrated in black & white with several pages in color. It’s an absolute joy to look through. The clothing styles are fascinating to look at, as are the gift items, jewelry, accessories, and so on. A pair of shoes cost an average of $2 and a chic dress cost about $5-$9.
We just added over 100 more vintage ads on Atticpaper.com. Some great vintage car ads from the 1960’s and various other categories. Recently listed ads always appear first.
Here’s our first creepy ad of the month. This one is a contest ad.
Clara Kimball Young was one of the first real stars of the Silent Screen era. In 1919, she starred in the popular film “Eyes of Youth.”
This ad is undated, but I’m guessing it appeared as a result of that movie. It’s a photo of a young Ms. Young (no pun intended) with her eyes missing. Pretty creepy, huh? The text reads: “Clara Kimball Young’s eyes are the most distinctive of any screen artist’s, and it should not be difficult to draw them.” It goes on to say that the facial expression doesn’t matter. The winner will be the one who comes closest to the likeness of Miss Young’s eyes.
Are they kiddin’ me? Even someone with an art background (which I happen to have) would have a hard time with this.
Strange contest. But most of all . . . just plain creepy.
Here are two beautiful postcards for Easter. I believe both are French.
In the first hand tinted photo we see an adorable young boy dressed in his Easter best. In one hand he holds a bouquet of flowers. In the other he holds a ribbon that is attached to a lamb. On the ground is a basket of Easter eggs.
The second card shows two young children playing behind a brick wall of some sort. The older child stands over the smaller one who sits on the grass touching a large rooster. Eggs of varying size are scattered on the ground.
We would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter!
For the upcoming holiday of Passover, we are showcasing this beautiful 1864 steel engraving, “The Lesson of Passover,” from the picture by Edward Henry Corbould.
The Lesson of Passover
Here, the artist’s rendering of the subject is rather symbolical than according to the strict letter of the commandment respecting the Paschal festival. The family of a Jewish patriarch, both children and grandchildren, have gathered round the doorway of his dwelling, while he explains to them the meaning of this, the most solemn of all the Jewish feasts. The young female who stands with an elder sister, probably, near the doorway is a striking figure in the composition. Both of these females seem less attentive to the explanatory teachings of the aged Israelite than absorbed by the lamb, which they have possibly helped to rear only to be slain as the Paschal offering.
We would like to wish a happy Passover to all our friends who are celebrating this holiday week.
We have just added over 150 vintage movie advertisements to our website (and still have a few more to add). From the 1910’s through the 1990’s. Recently added listings will always appear at the top.
Is it a trade card? Is it a postcard? Or is it just a small antique lithograph? What do you think? I’m not sure how to classify these, but whatever they are, they’re charming! Each one is printed on card stock, measuring approximately 5″ x 3″. The backs are blank. Each shows a pair of tiny shrunken children perched on a branch, interacting with a different insect. We see them (possibly chatting) with a beetle, trying to catch a bee with a net, sitting atop two butterflies, and standing on a grasshopper.
These wonderful small children with large insects cards are available in our store.
