Insurance Receipts

A receipt is an acknowledgment of monies received. Receipts can be in manuscript format (handwritten) or in printed format. The printed receipt first appeared due to the levying of taxes with later adoption by charities, universities and other commercial enterprises. Soon security devices were added to the receipts to counteract counterfeiting. Rickards states that the earliest British receipts are those for lighthouse dues papers in use in the 17th century and later port dues in use in the 18th century. The 19th century started a proliferation of receipts in all manner of life. Some of the most coveted American receipts includes those involved in whaling and slavery. It is also among the most commonly encountered ephemera. One thing to note about receipts is the utilitarian form. Receipts are not highly decorated, nor do they tend to carry stylized printing. The receipt was a means of putting in writing what one received.

One area of receipt collecting to consider is that of insurance premium receipts. One can find some very early examples and some may be decorative (although the companies tended to save their creativeness for the actual insurance policies).

Also, check out the website for the Museum of History for more examples of receipts and other insurance ephemera.

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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...

Oswego New York Mills

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THE EPHEMERA OF BUSINESS

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