Turning the Book Wheel
The cherry blossoms are fading, but the tulips are starting to bloom here in DC, and in our seed and nursery catalog collection.
Festive Halloween decorations (and a turkey) from our trade literature collection. From Dennison Manufacturing Co. Dealer’s Catalogue of Tags and Specialties, 1913-1914 , 1913-1914
From: J. L. Hammett Illustrated Catalogue of School Merchandise 1872-1873 w/1874 cover and price list of school furniture , 1872-1874
From the Lyon & Healy Catalogue of Musical Merchandise , 1891. Known now mostly for their harps, in the 19th century Lyon & Healy produced many different types of string instruments as well as organs and brass. Uncertain to say whether the violins pictured here were manufactured by Lyon & Healy, or merely embellished by them.
More spring seed catalogs from our collection. Those are radishes? (via Smithsonian Institution Libraries : Front Cover SIL08-00030-1)
A little spring planting inspiration from our collection of vintage seed catalogs (via Smithsonian Institution Libraries : Front Cover SIL08-00040-1)
May is bicycle month, and we have loads of 19th and early 20th century bicycle catalogs and magazines we’ll be featuring throughout the month. Here, a Kenwood “Improved Ladies’ Special No. 10” model and a No. 8 road racing bike, both from the 1895 catalog. The No. 8 weighs 23 to 26 lbs and costs $100 - the ladies’ weighs a mere 19 to 22 lbs! It might just be me, but the price seems pretty steep for 1895.
May is bicycle month! This illustration is from the cover of a Kenwood Bicycle catalog from 1895 (via Smithsonian Institution Libraries : Stylized illustration of a woman riding a bicycle (front cover) SIL-029-017-01)
