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Title: Clark's trademark O.N.T. spool cotton
Description: Trade card promoting Clark Thread Company and depicting a racist caricature of an African American boy fishing with Clark thread. The boy is portrayed with exaggerated facial features and expressions. Shows the boy seated and with his legs straddling a giant spool of thread labeled, "Clark's trademark O.N.T. spool cotton" at the edge of a river. The boy holds a fishing rod across his chest and attempts to break the cotton thread, which he is using as fishing line. He looks at the viewer and says in the vernacular "I reckon dis yere's strong 'nuff suah." He is barefoot and attired in blue pants with red patches at the knees; an orange shirt with ragged sleeves; a green vest; and a brown cap. In the right on the ground at his feet is an orange-labeled canister from which worms escape. In the background is tall grass and the multi-colored horizon. In the foreground, the edge of the spool, the canister, and end of the rod are reflected in the water. The George A. Clark & Brother Company, manufactory of embroidery and sewing thread, was founded in 1863 in Newark, N.J. The firm was renamed Clark & Co. in 1879, and in the 1880s created a six-cord, soft finished thread called "Our New Thread" or "O.N.T." The business merged with J. & P. Coats in 1896, which lead to a series of mergers with fourteen other companies. Into the 21st century, the company continues to manufacture thread under the name Coats & Clark., Title from item., Place of publication deduced from place of operation of advertised business., Date deduced from history of advertised business., Text printed on recto: "I reckon dis yere's strong 'nuff suah.", Advertising text printed on verso: Clark's O.N.T. spool cotton. In white, fast black, and bright colors. Sold everywhere., Distributor's imprint printed on verso: George A. Clark, sole agent., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1880]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Clark [P.2017.95.30]

Title: Merrick Thread Co., "Fooled dis time, cully. Dis cotton ain't gwine to break."
Description: Racist trade card depicting a smiling African American boy portrayed as fishing bait for an alligator in a swamp. Shows the boy suspended from a tree limb over the gaping jaws of the head of the reptile jutting out from the body of water below him. The boy is held up by a hook in the seat of his pants that is attached to white thread wrapped around the tree limb and from a large spool that floats in the water. The spool bears the Merrick Thread Co. logo. The boy holds the fishing line of thread and fishing rod in his hands and by his face. He is barefooted and attired in a blue hat, a red shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a white vest, and blue pants with a patch on the right knee. The boy is depicted with exaggerated features. Print also contains an image on verso depicting a partially opened box of several spools of thread, on which the thread company's tagline "Merrick Thread Co's Ready Wound Bobbins for Sewing Machines Warranted 200 Yards" is printed. Merrick Thread Co. was founded in 1865 by Timothy Merrick, Austin Merrick, and Origen Hall in Mansfield, Connecticut. After its founding, the company established mills in Holyoke, Massachusetts. In 1898, the company merged with thirteen other independent thread and yarn manufacturers to form the American Thread Company., Title from item., Date inferred from content and genre of print., Advertising text printed on verso: Buy Merrick Thread Co.'s Best Six Cord Soft Finish Spool Cotton For Machine & Hand Sewing Warranted 200 Yds. Also For Sale By E. Erdman, Dealer in Dry Goods, Notions, Queensware, Groceries, and General Merchandise, Rucksville, Pa., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1885]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Merrick [P.2017.95.119]

Title: Merrick Thread Co. "Fooled dis time, cully. Dis cotton ain't gwine to break."
Description: Racist trade card depicting a smiling African American boy portrayed as fishing bait for an alligator in a swamp. Shows the boy suspended from a tree limb over the gaping jaws of the head of the reptile jutting out from the body of water below him. The boy is held up by a hook in the seat of his pants that is attached to white thread wrapped around the tree limb and from a large spool that floats in the water. The spool bears the Merrick Thread Co. logo. The boy holds the fishing line of thread and fishing rod in his hands and by his face. He is barefooted and attired in a blue hat, a red shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a white vest, and blue pants with a patch on the right knee. The boy is depicted with exaggerated features. Print also contains an image on verso depicting a partially opened box of several spools of thread, on which the thread company's tagline "Merrick Thread Co's Ready Wound Bobbins for Sewing Machines Warranted 200 Yards" is printed. Merrick Thread Co. was founded in 1865 by Timothy Merrick, Austin Merrick, and Origen Hall in Mansfield, Connecticut. After its founding, the company established mills in Holyoke, Massachusetts. In 1898, the company merged with thirteen other independent thread and yarn manufacturers to form the American Thread Company. The distributor of the thread, Isaac J.H. Bordner, owned a store which was built in 1881 and located in the Mount Aetna neighborhood of Tulpehocken Township in Pennsylvania. In addition to being a businessman, Bordner was served as the local postmaster between 1870 and 1899., Title from item., Date inferred from content and genre of print., Advertising text printed on verso: Buy Merrick Thread Co.'s Best Six Cord Soft Finish Spool Cotton For Machine & Hand Sewing Warranted 200 Yds. Also., Distributor's imprint printed on verso: Isaac J.H. Bordner, Dealer in General Merchandise, Mt. Aetna, Berks Co., Pa.
Date: [ca. 1885]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Merrick [P.2017.95.120]

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