Subject: Womens fashion

Billhead from Mrs. M. J. Zernow, located at No. 315 King Street, Charleston, South Carolina. The business is described as a ‘Fashionable Millinery and Fancy Goods Establishment’ and advertises “A Full Line of Modern Styles of Corsets at the Lowest Prices, Always on Hand.” The bill, dated September 30, 1890, lists a purchase by Carrie Marks. The billhead is printed with an ornate Victorian-style design.

This item consists of an album page featuring four individual cartes-de-visite portraits of members of the Levy family. The first image shows two oval-framed portraits: Ann Matilda Levy (identified as "mother," 1860) seated in a striped dress and bonnet, and Joseph Levy (identified as "Son of Adam Joseph & Ann Matilda Levy") standing against a studio backdrop. The second image displays two more portraits: a profile bust of Juliana M. Levy and another portrait of Ann Matilda Levy (identified as "Grandmother," 1856). The album page features decorative borders around the oval portrait frames, characteristic of mid-19th century photographic albums. 3.

A colorful trade card for H. F. Golden, Millinery, located at 45 Main Street, Bangor, Maine, circa 1885. The front features an ornate lithographic illustration of vibrant orange and blue flowers, green leaves, and wheat-like stalks, surrounding a white scroll banner with the business name and address. This item serves as an advertisement for the millinery business, a common practice in the Victorian era. **3.

This trade card advertises J. Rothschild, an importer of French millinery goods located at 1022 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, dating to approximately 1885. The card features a colorful lithographic image of a young girl in a pink dress descending stairs while holding a green cord. The business name and address are presented in ornate Victorian-style lettering at the bottom. 3.

This trade card advertises Phillip J. Cohn's Fashionable Millinery, located at 5009 Main Street in Germantown, with a branch at 244 N. Second Street in Philadelphia. The business specialized in trimmed and untrimmed bonnets and hats for ladies and children, and also offered mourning goods as a specialty. The front of the card features a color illustration depicting a mother holding a baby, surrounded by four other children, one of whom is reading. The verso displays the business advertisement with "Fashionable Millinery" rendered in ornate script. **3.

This trade card for "The People's Store," operated by Virgil H. Cohn in Cobleskill, NY, circa 1885, advertises a range of clothing items and services. The verso details "Ladies Cloaks and Cloaking" in "endless variety," promoting "Styles Elegant, Prices Very Low, Fabrics Superior." It also highlights "Black Cashmeres AND Black Silks" as a specialty and mentions a "prominent" Merchant Tailoring Department with an "Artistic Cutter." The text is presented in ornate Victorian-style typography. The recto features a color illustration of a young girl with long, curly hair, wearing a green wide-brimmed hat adorned with a peacock feather and a blue-striped scarf. 3.

This trade card advertises Thomson's Patent Glove-Fitting Corsets, which were sold by Isaac Praeger & Sons of Parkersburg, West Virginia. The verso of the card promotes the corsets, claiming they had been popular for fifteen years and were "the most popular Corsets throughout the United States," praised for their construction and ability to create a "perfect figure." It also mentions different "G" quality styles: E (Pitti-Sing), D (Yum-Yum), and Ventilating Style (Peep-Bo). The front of the card features a color illustration of three white women dressed in stereotypical Japanese kimonos, holding corsets. They are labeled "Pitti-Sing," "Yum-Yum," and "Peep-Bo," referencing characters from Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado." The card includes a crown "TRADE MARK" logo and ornate text for "Thomson's Patent Glove Fitting." The imagery reflects a problematic and racist depiction of Asian culture. **3.

This trade card advertises Jacob G. Altman, a dry-goods merchant located at 507 1/2 West Baltimore Street in Baltimore, Maryland. The card features a die-cut fan shape with a rose motif across the fan. The fan is a common theme in advertisements for women's clothing and accessories. This may be one of three cards from the same series. The back of the card contains a full advertisement for the business.

This trade card advertises Mrs. E. Argersinger's Fancy Goods Store, located at 564 & 566 Broadway in New York. The front of the card depicts a woman wearing a brown hat adorned with flowers. She is dressed in a yellow dress and a fur-collared coat. The background of the card is a floral design. The back of the card contains a full advertisement for the business.

This trade card advertises the millinery business of Mrs. S. Jacoby, located at 1528 Ridge Avenue, between Brown and Parrish streets in Philadelphia. The front of the card depicts a fashionable woman with a large, elaborate green hat with feathers, a green and pink dress, and a white lace collar. The back of the card is blank.

This trade card advertises N. Lowenthal, a ladies' and children's outfitter located at the corner of Baltimore and Schroeder Streets. [This location was likely in Baltimore, Maryland.] The front of the card features a woman's hand holding a basket of flowers. The illustration is in a floral motif. The flowers are pink and white. The card is printed in a bright, eye-catching yellow. The back of the card includes a full advertisement for the business.

A circa 1885 trade card advertising the Chicago Corset Company, located at 24 Canal Street. The front of the card features an advertisement for the company's corsets, while the back contains a full-page advertisement.

Two trade cards announcing the opening of S. Levison's Millinery for the Fall and Winter of 1883. The cards indicate the location as 350 Main Street, Springfield, Massachusetts. One card is dated October 3, 1883, and the other is undated.