Group of three oversized ink blotters featuring Murphy, Grant & Company from the late 1890s.
The Murphy, Grant & Company was founded in 1851 by Eugene Kelly, J.A. Donohoe, Daniel T. Murphy and Adam Grant. They were considered the largest wholesale dry goods house on the west coast. They also manufactured "The Never Rip Overall" under the Nonpareil Brand. Nonpareil is French and means without equal. They were considered one of Levi's biggest rivals at the time.
Below is a Nonpareil label by Murphy, Grant & Co., from 1891
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| From Oregon State Archives |
Advertising cover from Murphy, Grant & Co. postmarked 1896
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| Hamer-Schua Auction Galleries |
Grant & Murphy both have a street named after them here in SF .the building is still there but has been remodeled and hosts now"cable car clothier" a place for fine English clothes .
ReplyDeleteGrant street is chinatown's main street and Murphy is few blocks from the original building.
BTW"non pareil" means: not the same .the real translation for without equal should be "sans pareil " i suspect a French Canadian "period wrong" translation....love the blog
Patrick/riveted
Thanks for the comment. It's funny, I've been on both streets and didn't even think about the connection. BTW, are you going to Inspiration and/or Rose Bowl this weekend?
ReplyDeletei can't make it this year mike .......let's keep in touch
ReplyDeleteI have stamps from 1908 to 1930 nobody will tell me nothing about them how do I find out about them can some one tell me what I got
ReplyDelete