Subject: Steamboats

Billhead of Neafie & Levy Ship & Engine Building Co., Philadelphia, PA. Neafie & Levy was one of the earliest iron shipbuilders and the chief rival to William Cramp in 19th-century Philadelphia. In 1844, Thomas Reaney, Jacob Neafie and William Smith formed a partnership to build fire engines, boilers and stationary steam engines. That same year, they launched four iron steamboats for export to South America. Smith died in 1845, and Capt. John P. Levy joined the firm. In 1859, Reaney left the firm. Neafie & Levy operated until 1907. The shipyard was located in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, on land now occupied by a Philadelphia Electric power plant.

Billhead or waybill documenting the transportation of ten boxes of spices via steamboat "Alabama" from New Orleans to Natchez on December 18, 1821. The waybill was signed by Samuel Rogers (master) and George Evans. Printed by Benjamin Levy & Company, New Orleans, the billhead features a small vignette of ships at sea. William M. F. Saul shipped the spices to Gabriel Tichnor. This is considered one of the earliest examples of printing by Benjamin Levy & Company. Benjamin Levy (1786-1860) was the son of Simeon Levy, a Hebrew teacher at Shearith Israel in New York City. He was a prominent New Orleans publisher (1822-1841), and one of the first American Jews to combine printing, publishing, and selling books. His name first appeared on a title page in 1817 as B. Levy and Co., Booksellers, New Orleans. He announced his printing venture in 1821.

A broadside advertisement from Cohen Brothers, dated December 1892, advertising uniforms for railroad, steamboat, and yacht employees. The broadside includes illustrations of railroad workers in various uniforms and indicates that the company had been supplying uniforms since 1880. The document shows a stamped catalog number and the company's address at 96/98/100 Catherine Street, New York City.

Envelope addressed to the Steamer Judah Touro in New Orleans, Louisiana. The envelope features an advertising oval of the ship. Dated circa 1863.

A stereoscopic photograph depicting a steamboat at a dock, featuring well-dressed white and black individuals. The back of the photograph is stamped "J. G. Mangold, Portrait & Landscape Artist, Hickman & Kimberly Block, Palatka, Florida." The photograph was likely taken after the great fire of 1884 in Palatka, as J.G. Mangold, a resident photographer, documented the aftermath of the fire. The photograph's creation is estimated to be circa 1880, based on the information provided. Additional genealogical information about J.G. Mangold's family is included in the archival description.

Salted paper print photograph depicting the steamship Lady Elgin and the warehouse of Selig & Cohen, clothing manufacturers, importers, and jobbers, located at 104 Lake Street in Urbana, Illinois. The photograph was likely taken sometime before 1860, the year the Lady Elgin sank. The photographer is identified as Samuel Alschuler, a Jewish photographer known for his 1857 ambrotype of Abraham Lincoln.

This trade card, likely from the late 19th century, advertises Charles F. Saul, located at 17 & 19 East Water Street in Syracuse, New York. The front of the card features a depiction of a steamboat traveling on water, with the text 'The Excursionist' printed above. The card likely advertises a store that sells goods for travel and recreation. The back of the card is blank.

This trade card advertises Jacob Roth, a grocer and provision dealer located at 106 First Avenue, between 6th and 7th Streets in New York City. The front of the card features a large, steam-powered sailing ship. The back of the card provides more detailed information about the business, including a list of goods and services offered. The card states that Roth is a supplier to steamboats, hotels, and families.

This trade card advertises S. J. Goldstein's clothing store in Bath, Maine. The front of the card features a lithograph depicting a steamboat sailing on the Susquehanna River. The bottom of the card features a smaller advertisement for S. J. Goldstein, One Piece Clothier, located on Church Block, Main Street in Bath, Maine. The verso also features a lithograph, this one of S. J. Goldstein, along with an advertisement for the store.