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Subject: Humorous illustrations

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Trade Card - A. Frank & Co., The Clothiers, Ottawa, ILTrade Card - A. Frank & Co., The Clothiers, Ottawa, IL

This colorful trade card advertises A. Frank & Co., The Clothiers, located in Ottawa, Illinois, specializing in men's and boy's clothing. The card encourages potential customers to "save money" by purchasing from their establishment. The visual features a comical caricature of a man with an exaggerated head, possibly a shopkeeper, wearing a blue bandana, a yellow jacket, and a blue apron. He is depicted picking his nose while holding a small box and leaning on a broom, rendered in a style typical of late 19th-century advertising.

Trade card - Excelsior Clothiers, Cleveland, Ohio, March 27, 1884Trade card - Excelsior Clothiers, Cleveland, Ohio, March 27, 1884

Trade Card - Excelsior Clothiers .....Comical re: mother-in-law......,,,verso full ad for one year birthday 3/27/1884...Excelsior Clothiers was a notable retail clothing store located at 201–211 Superior Street in Cleveland, Ohio, during the late 19th century. Situated in the Rouse Block, a prominent commercial building on the northwest corner of Public Square and Superior Street. Jacob Steinfeld was a prominent member of Cleveland's German-Jewish immigrant merchant class during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His success as a retail pioneer allowed him to help shape the city's early commercial landscape while becoming a major figure in its growing Jewish communal network. Operating under the banner of Excelsior Clothiers at 201-211 Superior Street, Steinfeld earned the newspaper moniker the "Old Reliable" clothier. His business was highly regarded for introducing high-volume, affordable, ready-made clothing to Cleveland's working class. Leveraging his retail wealth, he heavily invested in local real estate, hiring the renowned architectural firm Lehman & Schmitt to construct a massive multi-story commercial building on Woodland Avenue in 1891, as well as a large personal estate and barn complex on East 55th Street in 1889. As a highly successful businessman, Steinfeld was a key early member and patron of The Excelsior Club. Founded in 1872, the institution served as the primary social and cultural epicenter for Cleveland's elite German-Jewish community during an era when they were excluded from mainstream Gentile social clubs. Beyond social circles, his philanthropy extended deep into the community; he supported early Jewish orphanages, immigrant relief funds, and welfare charities recorded in historical registries like the American Jewish Year Book. Steinfeld's commitment to his community extended to preserving its history and honoring its dead. He was actively involved in the development and maintenance of Mayfield Cemetery, a landmark Jewish cemetery established in 1887 by the Euclid Avenue Temple and Tiffereth Israel congregations. Upon his death, he was interred there alongside his peers, cementing his legacy within Cleveland's Jewish history.

Trade Card - Goodman & Marks, Bradford, Pennsylvania, 1882Trade Card - Goodman & Marks, Bradford, Pennsylvania, 1882

A trade card for Goodman & Marks, One-Price Clothiers, located at 47 Main Street, Bradford, Pennsylvania, circa 1882. The card features a humorous color lithograph illustration depicting a seated, portly gentleman in a suit looking over his shoulder at the smiling, ethereal head of a woman wearing a red cap. Above them, ornate text reads, "Her bright smile haunts me still." The card serves as an advertisement for the clothing business. 3.

Trade Card - L. Loupe, Gilroy, CA, 1885 circaTrade Card - L. Loupe, Gilroy, CA, 1885 circa

This trade card for L. Loupe, a dealer in dry goods, clothing, boots, shoes, carpets, oil cloths, and matting, features a humorous illustration with the caption "IN WANT - OF A DRINK." The image depicts a man, possibly a caricature, leaning against a bar with two barrels (one marked "XX") and a sign for "OLD RYE." The card is designed to advertise L. Loupe's general merchandise business in Gilroy, California, characteristic of late 19th-century retail advertising.

Trade card - L. Neuberger, Schenectady, NY, 1882Trade card - L. Neuberger, Schenectady, NY, 1882

This colorful trade card advertises L. Neuberger, the "Famous One-Price Clothing House" located at 162 State St., Schenectady, NY. The card specifies "Merchant Tailoring A Specialty." The central image is an illustration of a man dressed in formal attire (top hat, tailcoat, light trousers), winking, smiling, and holding a cane and a cigar. Below the illustration, the text reads: "I'm going to the Summer-Nights Festival." A copyright notice by M.F. Tobin, NY, 1882, is printed at the bottom. The overall design features bold text and a humorous, eye-catching illustration typical of late 19th-century advertising. **3.

Trade Card - M. Golinsky, Savannah, GA, circa 1885Trade Card - M. Golinsky, Savannah, GA, circa 1885

This trade card advertises M. Golinsky, a dealer in clothing, fabrics, boots, shoes, hats, caps, oilskins, gutta percha boots, sail needles, sailcloth, and knives, located at the corner of Bryan & Jefferson Gade in Savannah, Georgia. The back of the card features the business details and product list in purple ink, with large number '9's on either side. The front of the card features a humorous black-and-white illustration of a donkey kicking a man, with a top hat flying off, accompanied by the text "WHOA EMMA!" and "Compliments. of. J. H. G." The card has a decorative border.

Trade card - The Globe Clothier, Columbus, NebraskaTrade card - The Globe Clothier, Columbus, Nebraska

This trade card advertises Maurice A. Mayer, "The Globe" Clothier, located on Thirteenth Street, opposite the Thurston Hotel. The card promotes the sale of clothing, hats, and furnishing goods, emphasizing a "Strictly ONE PRICE, and that THE LOWEST." The front of the card features a color lithograph illustration titled "The Return from the Insect Fair," depicting a large potato on wheels, pulled by two ladybugs, with a bee as a driver and three ants riding on the potato. A small banner on the potato reads "FIRST PRIZE POTATO." The design reflects the whimsical and decorative styles common in late 19th-century advertising. **3.

Trade Cards: Heiman Bros., Clothiers, San Francisco, CaliforniaTrade Cards: Heiman Bros., Clothiers, San Francisco, California

This record contains two trade cards for Heiman Bros., clothiers located at 1026-1030 Market Street in San Francisco, California. The first card features a comical illustration; it is one of a series of four cards. The image shows a man, possibly the bridegroom, in a humorous situation. The second card (back of the first) shows a full advertisement with a picture of an Indian Head Penny. The style and imagery suggest a late 19th-century creation. The back of the first card shows a full advertisement with a picture of an Indian Head penny.