THE EPHEMERA OF BUSINESS

I have had a hard time deciding what to use for this month's billhead. For all those who watch American Pickers, I went to my paper "honey hole" last Thursday (flush with Christmas money - we celebrated early this year) and went wild! I hadn't been up there for awhile so I was giddy with glee at all the new paper - much of it is going to be listed in Ebay in the next couple of months mainly to support my UK billhead habit and to pay for Gus the dog's doggie daycare habit. So, this billhead of the month is from my recent trip - it is for S.F. Hess tobacco out of Rochester New York. John Disbrow started a tobacco firm in 1838. In 1867, Solomon F. Hess purchased Disbrow’s business and conducted the business alone under the name S.F. Hess until 1877 when it became S.F. Hess & Co. Hess is famous for its tobacco card inserts. Some examples of Hess letterheads: Check out these websites for tobacco card examples: Some Baseball Card examples California Leagu...

1806 billhead for Corning & Company druggists, sign of the mortar who have constantly for sale: medicine, paints, oils, varnishes, dye-stuffs, hatters’ trimmings, groceries and paper hangings located in Troy New York. Early American billhead with plate mark and graphic of a mortar and pestle – also indicates the firm had a trade sign of the same. The firm was started by Gurdon Corning. Corning was born in 1778 in Norwich CT. He began his business career as a druggist in Norwich and he moved to Troy NY in 1801 where he set up a successful drug business. His commercial interests turned to insurance and banking. He was one of the founders of the Rensselear Polytechnical Institute. He was mayor of Troy from 1843-1847. He was related to Erastus Corning.