Receipts - Bills of Lading Part I

From Rickards The Encyclopedia of Ephemera (a must have for ephemera collectors): A bill of lading (BOL) is a term commonly used for a statement of goods loaded for transportation on sea, land or air freight. The document itemizes the goods to be carried and names the the carrier and the places in between where the journey is made. In effect it is a receipt by which the carrier takes responsibility for the goods listed and their safe delivery. The BOL is one of the earliest maritime documents.

Style: The BOL in its earliest form typically appears as a printed blank, landscape in format, often bearing an engraved illustration or large decorative initial and having a broad left hand margin. Spaces are left in the body of the text for inseration of details. The document usually opens with the words "Shipped in good order and well conditioned," with the opening word being stressed typographically or by decorative embellishment. The wording in early billheads make frequent reference to God with a prayer for safe arrival.

Below are two early examples that I picked up cheap on ebay UK.

The first example is from 1823 for Genoa. Note the engraved illustration on the lef hand side, the landscape format and the manuscripted writing. I losely translated it and it does refer to God and safe travels.

This next example is from 1763, Italian again in Chiavenna. Note the decorative initials on the left hand side. This also asks God to deliver the packages safely

Part II - American steamship examples.
Part III - Railroad examples.

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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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