THE EPHEMERA OF BUSINESS

My love of old newspaper advertisements keeps growing. I try to stay with items pre-1860 if I can. I recently purchased three Shipping & Commercial List newspapers from 1841. This paper one of the most successful and influential of the shipping papers printed in New York. It was published on Wednesday and Saturday mornings by W. Burritt & EB Clayton located on Wall Street.  Here are some neat ads from the newspapers. Bavarian Brewery of Newark New Jersey ale brewed in the German style by JR Warburg.  Giesler's Anchor Champagne imported by WD Cuthburtson of NY. Cordial Distillery of John B. Rey Burling Slip. Enos Wilder fire proof sages patent Salamander Safes & Chests. James McCullough's Shot Tower formerly George Youle & Co. Check out my older posts about Youle.  Here is another piece of the Youle puzzle. Very neat surprise for me. The Youle billhead was my first early American billhead.  Phoenix Factory Richmond VA Samu...

Youle was a well-known family name in New York among founders and cutlers. I have been able to piece together a short family genealogy of the family. Unfortunately, I cannot 100% verify that the links I have made to family members are correct. If anyone has more info on the Youles I would be very interested in reading about it. While a lot of research states that John and James Jr were sons of James – there is some conflict about this. While James Jr certainly could be a son, I believe that John, George, James, and Joseph were all brothers with perhaps another John as a nephew. The Colonial Newsletter article is what is perplexing about the ties between the brothers/nephews/sons. The article states that James was killed in his shop and left behind a wife June (I believe her name was Jane) and that Jane died young and left three underage children: Timothy, Thomas and June (again possibly Jane). In sum, I believe James, Joseph, George and John were brothers – and there was a John...

The Youle billhead is particularly interesting in that what it itemizes. The purchaser was the Sloop Sea Gull dated December 18, 1822. Youle put one set of sleigh shoes on the sloop and also charged for cartage. The billhead is signed by Mr. George Youle, Jun. The Sea Gull was built as the river steamer built Enterprise by the Connecticut Steam Boat Company of Hartford CT. It was launched in November, 1818. In December, 1822 it was purchased by the US Navy for $16,000 for use as a shallow water operating against pirates along the coast of Cuba. It was renamed the Sea Gull, only the second steamship in the US Navy and the first to serve actively as a warship. The Sea Gull served as a dispatch boat in Commodore Porter’s “Mosquito Fleet,” employed in the West Indies for the suppression of piracy in 1823-1824. The Sea Gull served in the West Indies looking for pirates until 1825, when she was declared unfit for service and fitted out as a receiving ship in Philadelphia until she wa...

As promised several months ago, here follows a three part series of the George Youle billhead I purchased off of ebay many months ago. This first part is on the description of the billhead with following parts on the item purchased and a little history of George Youle and his family. The billhead is an early illustrated billhead dated December 19, 1822. Youle used the top portion of the billhead to advertise everything he did. George Youle Plumber & Iron Founder at No. 294 & 296, Water St . New York . Keeps constantly on hand a general assortment of his Patent Cook Stoves & Cabouses, of every description together with stoves of various sizes, & patterns for Churches, Halls, Manufacturers, Offices & c. The center stove is nicely engraved and the word patent can be seen across its front. Engraved by Lewis sc. The sc traditionally means engraved by. So, we can presume that the billhead stove graphic was Engraved by Lewis. I have come up with very little t...