The loud laugh rings in the good old home (9 vs.) Red ink; two single-line borders, inclosing arms of Philadelphia, Indian Squaws and corner pieces. 42.9 x 30.3 cm.
John Citti, born about 1795 in Italy, worked as an image maker, "figurist", and artist in Philadelphia between ca. 1845 and 1857. He relocated with most of his family to New York City by 1860. Several of his sons and grandchildren, including Lewis F. (b. ca. 1827), Orelius (ca. 1831-ca. 1880), Theodore (b. ca. 1835) and John B. (b. ca. 1850) were employed in the lithographic trade in Philadelphia, New York City, and in Richmond, Virginia. Though some of his children returned to Philadelphia after several years, John and his Italian-born wife, Mary (b. ca. 1811), remained in New York City until his death about 1875.
Date
ca. 1795-ca. 1875
Location
Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers
The valentine depicts a dry goods clerk standing behind a counter. A much smaller woman faces him. A pair of gloves and bolt of fabric are on the counter. "Tin" is slang for money, and the sender mocks the recipient's financial status, suggesting that he would have to steal from the till to have enough money for a proper Valentine offering., Text: Just brains enough to measure tape, / And base enough to lie; / You're born to measure calico, / And leer in Woman's eye. / But when I want a Valentine, / I'll call and let you know, / That you may steal enough of "tin," / To make a proper show., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
Benjamin F. Urwiler, born March 1830 in Pennsylvania, was a lithographer active in Philadelphia in the early to mid 1860s with his cousin John J. Urwiler. He later worked as a United States assistant assessor, collector, conveyancer, accountant, and clerk in the city until his retirement. As a lithographer, he operated from 97 Chestnut Street with William Hart, W. H. Rease, and John J. Urwiler between 1855 and 1858. In 1859 he relocated with Hart and Benjamin to 25 North Fourth Street. By 1866 a Philadelphia city directory lists his occupation as assistant assessor., Secretary of the Association for the Relief of Deceased and Disabled Soldiers, Urwiler was a politically active citizen involved in the "Friends of the Union of the Nineteenth Ward" in Philadelphia. He ran for the City Commissioner seat on the Republican ticket in 1867. Before entering the lithographic trade, Urwiler worked as a grocer employed by his father, Jones Urwiler, when he resided at his father's household in Kensington (Ward 3) in 1850. He married Elmira (b. ca. 1832) and had four children; Anna, Mary, Elizabeth and Mattie by 1861. He resided with his daughter Mattie in 1900 at 521 York Street (Ward 19) and with his daughter Elizabeth at 2604 North Hollywood Street (Ward 28) by 1910. Urwiler died on August 24, 1913.
Date
March 1830-August 24, 1913
Location
Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers
This war against our liberties (12 vs.) Philadelphia, October 22, 1861; [signed] A[ndrew] C[omstock]. T. o. border; seal of Philadelphia within ornamental frame of agricultural and industrial implements. 29.2 x 18.5 cm.
The valentine shows a woman sewing a dress. Both the woman's dress and the one she sews have red bodices and yellow skirts, but the one she sews has a lower neckline and shorter sleeves. The sender mocks the recipient for her status as a single woman., Text: My ugly old maid, how sad is your lot, / To work on some fine wedding gown, / And know all the while, live as long as you may, / You'll never have one of your own., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
Oh take me to thy heart again (2 vs. and chor.) As sung by C. Campbell, of Carncross and Dixey's Minstrels., Variant: a. Adv: 500 Illustrated Ballads [publ.] Magnus (2). Letter paper; blue ink; hdpc. Magnus 231, col.; publ. Magnus (1). 20.3 x 12.5 cm., Variant: b. Adv: Ten illustrated Songs, publ. Magnus (1). Letter paper; single-line border around text; hdpc. Magnus 235a, col. 20.5 x 12.7 cm.
It's midnight now in Tennessee (6 vs.) Air,—"Shells of the Ocean." By a Soldier of the Army of the Cumberland., Variant: a. Adv: Price Ten Cents. Letter paper; red and blue ink; t. o. border; flag. 20.5 x 12.6 cm., Variant: b. Adv: Price, 10 Cents; Camp Smith, Tennessee, October 28th, 1864. Letter paper; blue ink; t. o. border and flag in red. 20 x 12.6 cm., Variant: c. With "Before the Battle" in title; Camp Smith, Tennessee, Oct. 28th, 1864; print. Johnson (4). T.o. border; blue ink; soldier with sword; 18.8 x 11.3 cm., Variant: d. With "on the Battle Field" in title; By a one Leg Soldier; headed: Give What You Please For This; postscript: Mine is but a simple story, etc.; print. Kretschman Bros. T.o. border; blue paper; zouave with flag. 20 x 12 cm.
Oh, keep your hat upon your head (8 vs. and chor.), Variant: a. As sung at the Arch Street Theatre, with unbounded applause; music obtained at A. Fisher's Book Store; cop: 1861, C. R. Dodworth, EDPa. A-J border. 20.2 x 13.2 cm., Variant: ab. [As above, but with tiel in sans serif bold face;] publ. Auner (3). A-J border. 21.3 x 12.6 cm., Variant: b. Publ. De Marsan (4). De Marsan comic heads border. 25.6 x 16.5 cm., Variant: c. Sheet no. 1048; As Sung by Wood's Minstrels; publ. Wrigley (1); [with NATURE'S WOODLAND CALL on verso.] Wrigley kissing cupids border. 24.8 x 15 cm.
Image: Depicts a single cannon on a carriage., Verse 1598: Our "Commissioner" to the Confederate States., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
William Mann, born June 14, 1814 in Philadelphia, proprietor of a Philadelphia blank book manufactory and stationery, printing and lithographic establishment (later William Mann Company), was active in the trade 1848-1881. Originally apprenticed in agriculture and carpentry, Mann entered the stationery and printing trade in Philadelphia in 1848 following his patenting of a binder for filing letters. He later patented copying paper (1852) and a paging and numbering machine (1874)., By 1850 Mann operated a binders and letterpresses manufactory at 74 (i.e., 000 block) North Fourth Street that evolved into a stationery by the mid 1850s at 34 South Third Street. By 1860 the business expanded into a blank-book manufactory, stationery, and letterpress and lithographic printing establishment at 43 South Fourth Street. Lithographic work included trade cards and job printing, and throughout the Civil War, Mann earned enough income to be taxed by the I.R.S. During the 1870s, Mann relocated to a larger location at 529 Market Street in 1872 and printed a visitor's guide as well as the "Centennial Calendar 1876" during the Centennial Exhibition. The firm remained active following Mann's death in 1881 and in the 1940s became a division of the Todd Company., Mann was married to Mary Ann (b. ca. 1815) with whom he had several children, including sons Charles (b. ca. 1850) and Joseph (b. ca, 1840) who assumed operations of their father's business following his death. In 1888 the business was incorporated as William Mann Company., During his career, Mann predominately lived north of Center City before relocating to Haddonfield, N.J. about 1870. According to the census for that year, Mann owned real estate worth $70,000 and personal estate worth $60,000. Between the 1850s and 1870, he resided in Philadelphia at 404 North Twelfth Street, 1711 Green Street, and 1736 Mt. Vernon Street, respectively. In the early 1880s, soon before his death, Philadelphia city directories also list a residence at 1813 North Broad Street. Mann died following a second stroke at his home in Haddonfield on September 7, 1881.
Date
June 14, 1814-September 7, 1881
Location
Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers
Block numbered in two places: 852., Image of a one lamb standing, one reclining in the background in a natural setting., Illustration appears in Kindness to animals, or the sin of cruelty exposed (Philadelphia, between 1857 and 1907?), tailpiece, p. 17., “Kindness to animals, or the sin of cruelty exposed” was listed in American Sunday-School Union catalogues from Jan. 1846 to at least 1893., Back of block partially obscured by pasted-down paper., Illustration also appears in History of beasts (Philadelphia, 1854 to 1857?), p. 9., Illustration also appears in Four seasons, Child's home library series no. 10 (Philadelphia, between 1857 and 1870?), p. 9., Illustration also appears in Child's world, vol. 4 no. 2, p. 4., , Provenance:, , Variant:
Exterior view of The St. James Hotel built circa 1904 after designs by Horace Trumbauer., Numbered 14948 on recto., Sheet number: 117A07., Divided back., Digitized with funding from a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
Creator
Brightbill, George M., collector.
Date
ca. 1910
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Brightbill postcards [Hotels and Restaurants - Lauber's through Stenton - 117]
Based in Philadelphia, the American Sunday-School Union was the most prolific publisher of children's books in 19th-century America. The Union illustrated its books and periodicals copiously, mainly with wood engravings. The original woodblocks were used through multiple printings and retained by the Union.
Block numbered in one place: 8110., Image of a man seated on what appears to be a block of stone, possible in a stone cell or outside a stone wall; one arm and one leg are shackled and he leans his head on his hand; possibly a scene from Classical antiquity., Signed: Scattergood-Howell; the firm is listed in the Philadelphia city directory for 1852.
Ye sons of Sires, of manly deeds, who died for love of right (24 lines) Tune.—Old Lang Syne. Dedicated to Miss M. H—. Double-line border. 18.5 x 11 cm.
The valentine shows a man with a waxed moustache, glasses, and a top hat. He stands in front of a man and woman. The valentine mocks the lounger for his unattractive idleness, superficial criticism of others, and transparent attempts to be near women., Text: Lounger! ambling 'round the places / Where the ladies congregate, / Critic of their forms and faces; / By them despised, you silly pate., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
Interior view of the Swedish School House. Depicts a classroom with individual desks and chairs arranged in multiple rows facing the teacher's podium. Also shown are maps and graphs, as well as illustrations of various people from history posted on the walls of the classroom.
Sample image scanned from: Wolf 2454, One of 297 song sheet headpiece designs identified by Edwin Wolf in his bibliography, American Song Sheets, Slip Ballads and Poetical Broadsides Collection, 1850-1870: A Catalogue of the Collection of the Library Company of Philadelphia (Philadelphia: Library Company of Philadelphia, 1963).
It's a soger I am, and I'm wearing the green (4 vs. and chor.) Air—"Darling Ould Stick." As sung by the great Comic Vocalist, Tony Pastor., Variant: a. Varying: "As sung by Tony Pastor"; publ. De Marsan De Marsan trapper border. 24.7 x 14.7 cm., Variant: b. Letter paper; blue ink; hdpc. Magnus 216, col.; publ. Magnus (1). 19.2 x 12 cm., Variant: c. Sheet no. 1164. Wrigley Ethiopian border. 23 x 14.5 cm.
Image: Jefferson Davis's head sticks out of a refrigerator machine. An African American man stands nearby., Verse 2791: You had better get out dere, Massa Jeff, and go Norf, dey soon cool you or any oder man., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Sullivan made a match to fight (8 vs. and chor.) Air.— Camptown Races. Following title: "Which took place at Boston Corners, Oct. 12th, 1853"., Variant: a. T. o. [Andrews] border. 23.4 x 15 cm., Variant: b. [As above;] with Astley's imprint added. T. o. border. 23 x 15 cm.
A woman wears a tapered, bustled, ruffled skirt that forces her to bend forward in the Grecian Bend. She holds a small parasol and wears a hat. The valentine mocks the recipient for thinking her fashionable dress is attractive to men. The Grecian Bend style of bustle became popular after 1869., Text: A slave to Fashion's tyrant laws, / You court each silly fop's applause; / Did you but know what I can see, / How shocked, I fancy, you would be. / You will, I hope, leave off this style, / Your dress provokes a pitying smile., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
