1908 New Brunswick Overall Manufacturing Company Letter

December 19, 1908 letter from The New Brunswick Overall Manufacturing Company located in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. Unfortunately I couldn't find any information on this company. I like how the letter is signed N.B Overall Mfg. Co. rather than having a person's signature.

1893 Enterprise Clothing Company Envelope

1893 envelope from Enterprise Clothing Company, manufacturers of overalls, pants and shirts, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The envelope is postmarked twice. The first dated March 25th from Philadelphia and the second dated March 27th from Manheim, PA., a small town in Lancaster County. I could only find one mention of the Enterprise Clothing Company. It was a single line entry in a 1892 Philadelphia Securities Manual. It was listed under companies that didn't provide any information. Their location in Philadelphia, 21 Bank Street, is a very small street. It's basically an alley in between 2nd and 3rd Street and Market and Chestnut Street. I don't think they were in business very long.

Circa 1942-43 Elmira Shirt & Overall Company Advertising Envelope

Circa 1942-43 illustrated advertising envelope from the Elmira Shirt & Overall Company in Elmira, Ontario.

Circa 1905-1918 Lumberjacks SXPC Real Photo Postcard

Circa 1905-1918 SXPC real photo postcard featuring what appears to be two lumberjacks posing in a studio. The Mackinaw coats, striped pants or boots, not sure which is the best piece? 

Circa 1904-1920 CYKO Real Photo Postcard of Train Crew

 

When I started this blog, I had trouble deciding what image to use as a background. The CYKO real photo postcard shown above was one of the ones that was on my shortlist. The card dates from 1904-1920 and shown some great period workwear. I almost wish the card was postally used to get a better idea of the true date and possibly some more information on this crew.

Lee Heavy Cardboard Style Tags

I recently picked up these great Lee tags advertising overalls and matched shirts-pants, but have no idea when they're from or how they were used. The seller said they were from the 1940s. I'm think they're from the very late 1940s or possibly the early 1950s because I've seen the figure below used in ads from that time frame. The pieces, which are most likely some sort of store display item,  are printed on very thick cardboard and measure 7 1/2 x 2 1/2. I'll go out on a limb and say that judging from what I've seen and have in my collection of Lee die-cut stand up figures, there is a cowboy that probably goes along with these guys.

1888 Bittner, Hunsicker & Co., Invoice

Great illustrated invoice from Bittner, Hunsicker & Company in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The piece is dated October 31, 1888. The company originally started out as Hunsicker Brothers in 1870 when James F. Hunsicker and Frank W. Hunsicker joined forces and opened a general store. In 1872 their uncle Elias Bittner joined them and the name changed to Bittner & Hunsicker Brothers. In 1880 Frank D. Bittner joined the team and the new name became Bittner, Hunsicker & Company. The company manufactured Bee Hive Overalls. I find it interesting that there's no mention of the brand name, but there is an illustration of a  beehive. I love the saying with the beehive. This pieces appears to jave been signed by Elias Bittner.

Key Work Clothes Denim Pocket Flasher

1949 Lee Overalls Pocket Flasher Variation

When it comes to collecting, I'm pretty much a geek. One thing I'm particularly geeky about is variations. I suppose it goes back to my baseball card collecting days. I always wanted to build a master set with all the variations. When I saw the above Lee Overall flasher from 1949, I went back to my previous posting from March 22nd and automatically knew it was different. The first thing that caught my eye was the different font usage on Lee Overalls. Next was the smaller images showing details on the overalls. The main difference was the one above shows 2-Ply Side Reinforcements on the first row, third image in. One the bottom one it has the Lee logo. Next is the image on the first row, last one and the image on the second row, fifth in show the Lee label on the pocket. The piece below doesn't. At the bottom where the Guarantee is, the top one says you can get a free pair if the overalls wear out. The bottom one also says this, but also offers you your money back. The Sanforized spacing is different. The top one says, "11 Factories Coast to Coast." The bottom one lists only 5 factories. I'm not sure which piece came first. I guess some digging on factory information can solve this. In the mean time, I'll keep watching for more variations.

March 22nd posting

Circa 1910-1924 Workers Real Photo Postcard

Here's an ARTURA real photo postcard circa 1910-1924 featuring a studio shot of two workers. The bigger guy on the right has a pretty interesting work shirt and what looks like a really ornate watch fob.

1896 Rosevear Brothers & Company Envelope

Established in 1887 by Rosevear brothers, John H. and E. William, along with their father William Rosevear in Morristown, New Jersey. The company dissolved in January/February of 1907. When the company dissolved there was mention that Mary Rosever (wife of William) and Elijah M. Rosevear retired. I'm not quite sure where Elijah fits in the family tree. He might be E. Williams son. Elijah is later listed as a member of Larned Carter & Company, the makers of Headlight Overalls.

1950 OshKosh B'gosh Overalls Pocket Flasher

Nicely illustrated pocket flasher from OshKosh B'gosh Overalls. The piece has a 1950 copyright on the top flap. I wonder if any company today would use the word "fat" on their marketing.

Circa 1890 Denver Railroad Crew Cabinet Photo

I recently picked up this smaller sized cabinet photo of a railroad work crew. The original dealer for this photo had a note on it saying it was from Denver and it was dated August 18, 1890. If it is from Denver, it could be the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Company. Nice example of workwear. 

1911 Bird, Jones & Kenyon, "Padlock" Overalls Invoice

"Padlock" Pants, Overalls and Shirts invoice from Bird, Jones & Kenyon of Utica, New York dated November 19, 1911. The firm of Bird, Jones & Kenyon were the founders of Utica-Duxbak Corporation

1905 Pittsburgh Iron Workers Colorized Real Photo Postcard

107 years ago today, this colorized real photo postcard featuring a crew of Pittsburgh Iron Workers was postmarked in Pittsburgh and sent to Miss Elisabeth Park in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. Not sure if the gentleman who sent the card, Fred, is one of the iron workers pictured. His note basically says he anxiously awaiting a reply to his letter. I would like to know what the "eight hours" on the card refers to. The card still used the old spelling of Pittsburgh where it ends with "g." The city's name officially changed to its current spelling with the "gh" on July 19, 1911.

Circa 1904-1918 Railroad Crew Real Photo Postcard

Circa 1904-1918 AZO real photo postcard showing a railroad work crew. The card identifies one individual, Buck Hiatt, on the back. This is a great shot of early workwear.

1933 Nunnally Brothers Overalls & Trousers Letter

Brief, but interesting letter between Atlanta overall company, Nunnally Brothers and R. F. Strickland Company of Concord, Georgia. The letter dated January 4, 1933 thanks Strickland for their business during a difficult year. This is an obvious reference to the Great Depression which was hurting just about everyone at this time. Nunnally Brothers Overalls and Trousers was founded by Hugh P. Nunnally and his brother, Charles B. Nunnally. An odd side bar to this piece is the home of Hugh Nunnally is a famous landmark in the Buckhead section of Atlanta. It hosted Clarke Gable and Carole Lombard during the premiere of Gone With The Wind. There's actually more information on the home than there is on the company.

1903 Wile Bros & Weill Window Sign

Nice little window sign advertising Union Made Clothing from Wile Bros & Weill in Buffalo, New York. The bottom left hand corner has a copyright from 1903. The company was established in 1897, but was in business since the 1880s under various names. It dissolved on March 18, 1905 and was taken over by Herman Wile. He formed Herman Wile & Co., and marketed his goods under the name "Hermanwile Guaranteed Clothing."

Neustadter Boss of the Road Overalls Bulldog Statue

Image from Brian Spencer

Neustadter Brothers Boss of the Road Overalls bulldog mascot statue. This incredibly rare piece is made of paper mache. Because of its construction material, not many survived the test of time.