Yo, Mr. Crane. I've Got a Bridge if You Want to Buy!

I guess it was meant to be a day spent in the 19th century. As I was reorganizing some of the archival papers after writing today's earlier post, something caught my eye.

It was a small drawing of a suspension bridge:

The 1873 letter accompanying the drawing reads: "Enclosed please find rough sketch, which will give you an idea how to construct a cheap susp. bridge. The price of 2" diameter steel rope is 15 cents per foot. If you conclude to build, and should want more information, we will gladly give it."

I have no idea why Crane & Co. would have been considering building a suspension bridge, but if they had they would have gotten their information from the best in the business: John A. Roebling's Sons. If you don't know the Roebling story, have a look here.

Art at the Top of the Page in the 19th Century

I'm a big fan of 19th-century graphics, design and typography, particularly as they play out on business letterhead. Some time ago, we took a look at some pretty elaborate examples. Today, I wanted to have a look at some that are not as fancy, but equally as impressive. Many of the letters in the Crane archive are from companies wanting to sell something. Nothing new there. But unlike letterhead for so many of today's manufacturers, these business people took great pride in showing off their products on their letterhead.

Let's have a look at a few:

 

Check out the Douglas letterhead from 10 years prior

 

 

No belts below, but it's irresistable!

Trick or Treat Etiquette with Elle and Maggie

With Halloween just around the bend, it's time to revisit some of the essential rules of etiquette for Trick or Treating. To assist us in this lesson, I have enlisted the services of two veterans of the Trick or Treat circuit in Portland, Oregon, to show you how to score big candies and big points in your neighborhood. So, without further adieu, here are Elle and Maggie with Dos and Taboos:




For those who don't know Elle and Maggie, they are the two delightful daughters of my blogging colleague Mindy Lockard. You can follow their adventures in pursuit of gracious living here.

A Tiger by the Tail at Billings Farm & Museum in Vermont

Wendy and I will miss young William Porter Hopkins' first foray into the world of Trick or Treating, the resulting sugar high and the inevitable meltdown this weekend. But we were lucky enough to spend some time with him in costume at the annual Halloween celebration at Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock, Vt.

The day-long celebration featured a working cider press, pumpkin ice-cream making (both off the charts yummie!) doughnuts hanging from a tree, pumpkin bowling, horse-drawn wagon rides, and up-close visits with chickens, sheep, cows and horses. If you're ever in the neighborhood, you owe it to yourself to stop by, especially if you have a kid in tow.

Here are some photos of the action.

Grinding apples to make cider.

A beanbag toss toward a cut-out clown face.

Doughnut on a string (Supposed to be no hands...)

And the classic tiger in a mess of pumpkins shot.

Tomorrow, we will be treated to some valuable trick or treat etiquette lessons from our friends out west - Elle and Maggie. So stay tuned!

Celebrating National Reptile Appreciation Day

Today is National Reptile Appreciation Day. Who knew such a thing existed?

But since we're celebrating, here are some examples of Reptilian Pen Candy:




From the top:

Turtle Brushstroke Note

Sea Turtle Collage Style Note

Snake Print Letterpress Note

Safari Letterpress Notes Gift Ensemble

Chameleon Card