Collecting Geographically: Don’t short change the United Kingdom.

One area that I like to collect billheads from is the UK. As you can imagine, UK printers printed some really nice elaborate and beautiful billheads. While trade cards didn’t take off in the UK as much as they did here, billheads are the exception. Recently I bought two lots of billheads from a dealer on ebay uk. As the dollar rises against these currencies, look for bargains amongst these European sellers. Be sure to go directly to the websites every now and again as not all items show up on the US ebay.

One example is billhead for James Howden a watch maker and jeweler in Edinburgh Scotland. The date on the billhead is 1824.

HOWDEN, James. Booked apprentice to Alexander Farquharson, Edin.,1764 — admitted freeman clockmaker, E.H., 1775. This well-known maker commenced business at 3 Hunter's Square, which premises he occupied till about 180.9, when he retired. He was succeeded by his son, also named James, who was admitted a freeman in 1809 — in 1825 he was at 56 North Bridge, while another brother, named John, was in business at 9 Waterloo Place — no trace of either after 1836.

A Handbook and Directory of Old Scottish Clockmakers from 1540 to 1850 A.D.
By John Smith p. 46.

Another nice and early billhead is that for Christopher Binks of London. This is a really early billhead dated 1806. Very very nice graphic is the shop with the word New Doyley's written on the outside of the building. The shop sold Ladies' Habit Coats, Gentleman's Cloaths, Liveries & c. completely made on the shorteft notice.

I found a mention of the shop being in Doyley's Warehouses from a London Directory printed in 17917.

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Baking Powder Billheads

In 1843 the first modern version of baking powder was discovered and manufactured by Alfred Bird, a British chemist. In 1846, Justus Von Liebig in Germany experiments with yeast made from sodium bicarbonate and hydrochloric acid with explosive results. In 1885, Eben Horsford and George Wilson manufacture chemicals which eventually became the Rumford Chemical Works. Horsford formulated and patented Rumford Baking Powder, the first calcium phopshate baking powder. In 1889, William Wright and chemist George Rew developed a double-action baking powder marketed under the name Calumet Baking Powder. Below find some examples of baking powder billheads.

Billhead of the Month: Schmit Bros trunks Oshkosh WI

I picked up this Schmit Brothers billhead recently in Eau Claire. I currently have it for sale on ebay right now. It is a nice triple graphic billhead. Here is my ebay write up: 1895 billhead for The Schmit Brothers Trunk Company manufacturers of trunks, traveling bags and valises of Oshkosh Wisconsin. Great header graphics with three images. Left side is the firm’s mill at Summit Lake, middle is the firm’s factory and left side is the firm’s warehouse. Billhead has creases. Peter Schmit was born in 1840 in Prussia. He emigrated to the U.S. in June 1854 and located inRacine WI. He was engaged in farming until 1861 when he enlisted in Company D, 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He engaged in the battles at Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Mine Run, Bull Run, Gettysburg, Atlanta, Macon, and Savannah. He was mustered out in June 1865. He came back to Racine and kept a hotel until 1866 when he joined his brother Henry’s trunk business. Henry had established the bus...

Newest edition to my collection - Widdicomb Furniture Co.

Lately, I can't help but buy some U.S. letterheads and billheads. I have an affinity for billheads / letterheads / receipts from the 1870s. Here is a recent purchase for the Widdicomb Furniture Co. of Grand Rapids Michigan. For 145 years, the Widdicomb name has been recognized in the furniture world. The earliest Widdicomb company was organized in 1857, by George Widdicomb, a British trained cabinet maker, employing 12 men, plus his four sons Harry, William, George Jr., and John. Except during the Civil War, a Widdicomb furniture firm was run by the family until 1916. The John Widdicomb Co. was founded in 1897 when John left the parent company to form his own firm. Though he died in 1910, that firm continued under his name until the 1990’s, and purchased the title of the original company in the 1970’s.

THE EPHEMERA OF BUSINESS

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