1915 Black Diamond Shirts & Overalls Invoice

Invoice dated October 1, 1915 from Sol Heller & Sons, manufacturers of Black Diamond Shirts and Overalls, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The invoice is addressed to Henning Brothers in Pocono Lakes, PA. It looks like they ran up quite a big tab.

Black Diamond label from an ebay listing

Black Diamond shank from an unknown source

1922 Johnstown Nuff Stuff Overalls and Shirts Invoice

With all the elaborate letterheads and invoices I have in my collection, this one for some reason always stands out to me. Maybe it's just the two color thing and the fact that it's not so elaborate. I'm not sure when and if Johnstown became a formal part of the company's name. In a postcard I posted on January 10th of last year, the company name was just Nuff Stuff. I've also seen some earlier pieces where it was also just Nuff Stuff. I have invoices from 1923 that also have Johnstown in the name.

The Red Star Shirt and Overall Co., St. Paul, MN Cabinet Photo

Cabinet photo featuring The Red Star Shirt and Overall Company in St. Paul, Minnesota. I couldn't locate any information on this company, but was able to place the company in St. Paul because of the business located next door. There were a few hits online for the W.H. Konantz Horse Collar Company in St. Paul during the1890s and early 1900s. I like that the photo is for the Red Star Shirt and Overall Company, but it's W.H. Konantz that has the red stars above his door. If anyone has additional inof on this company, please pass it on.

Union-Made Turns One

I know it's unusual for me to post on the weekend, but today is a big day for Union-Made. We made it to our first birthday. I'd like to thank everyone, especially my wife and little boy, for their support through the first year. 

1882 Levi Strauss & Company Letter with Envelope

Another great letter from Levi Strauss & Company, San Francisco. This one came with the original envelope addressed to S. Marks & Co. in Roseburg, Oregon. It is postmarked February 2, 1882 out of San Francisco. The letter itself is part printed and part handwritten. The printed part is basically a notice of payment. I've seen these types of printed receipts in printing catalogs I have from the late 1800s. The handwriting on this letter and envelope is the same as yesterday's from 1870.

The iconic picture shown below was taken in 1882. I wonder if one of the guys is responsible for the handwriting on these early Levi Strauss pieces?

1870 Levi Strauss & Company Letter

Great letter from Levi Strauss & Company, San Francisco, California. The letter is dated June 15, 1870. This is almost three years before Levi Strauss teamed up with Jacob Davis and got their patent. In one brief online bio of Levi Strauss, it says that by 1870 the 41 year old Strauss had already become a millionaire  off his dry good business. The content of this letter, which is addressed to what appears to be William N. Petire Esquire, is about his credit being up to date. The letter shows great penmanship. I love the Levi Strauss & Co. signature at the bottom. I'd really like to know whose handwriting this is.

1906 Headlight Overalls Receipt Postcard

Receipt postcard issued by Larned, Carter & Company, makers of Headlight Overalls. The card is dated May 18, 1906 and postmarked the same day out of Detroit, Michigan. It is addressed to Branch & Alexander in Roper, North Carolina. A quick search online didn't produce anything, but I suspect this was a local clothing store.