Calvert Litho billheads

Thomas Calvert was born to well-to-do parents in Yorkshire England on February 10, 1828, and was educated at Scarborough grammar school. At the age of 19 he entered the employ of George Hudson, the railway king of London. After one year with Hudson he accepted a position at a bank. In 1849 he came to the U.S. locating in Philadelphia and worked for the Pennsylvania Central Railway Co. While working for the railway, he bought an interest in George Cook & Co., engravers and color printers. Due to health concerns, his physician recommended he move to Minnesota, selling his interest in the firm. At Minnesota, he worked in the lumber business from 1853 to 1858. In 1858, he lost nearly everything he had – chiefly lumber and logs. In 1859, his health having improved, he moved back east and settled in Buffalo where he worked for Sage & Co.

In the early 1860s, Calvert moved to Detroit Michigan and entered a partnership with John Gibson, a lithographer and they carried on business under the name John Gibson & Co. In 1864, Calvert purchased Gibson’s interest in the firm and operated under the name Calvert & Co. His business was successful and in 1867, he incorporated it as the Calvert Lithographing & Engraving Company, with himself, Claude B. Candler and Charles Calvert (Thomas’ son) as officers. The firm had a capital stock of $40,000.

In March 1897, the corporation expired and its property and assets were transferred to the Calvert Lithographing Company. The new firm maintained officers in San Francisco, Chicago and St. Louis, as well as its main office in Detroit. Calvert died on February 8, 1900. Candler became the firm’s president. Soon after Thomas’ death, his son Charles retired from the business and thus ended the family’s involvement in the company.

Under Candler, the firm flourished. In 1950, the firm was sold to a group of Chicago investors. In 1970, the firm was absorbed by a the Canadian printing company Lawson & Jones.

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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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