Collection of Columbian Exposition World's Fair tradecards

Item Details

various, various, 1893

as shown

1893 collection of Columbian Exposition World’s Fair views: 53 cards from 11 series. A great many chromolithographed view series were produced of the fair’s buildings and then printed on the back (sometimes also the front) with advertising promoting everything from worm medicine to window blinds. (1) 8 cards each backed with a woodcut of a different stove design for Bussey & McLeod of Troy NY (2) 5 cards published by Ward Bros. of Columbus OH, back printed for 3 different piano makers, an insurance company, and a yeast powder (3) 4 cards published by Knight, Leonard & Co., backed with ads for the Bucher & Gibbs Plow Co., Canton OH (4) 6 cards from a different series but backed with the same ads for Bucher & Gibbs (5) 11 cards in sepia back printed with different testimonials for the anti-cholera patent medicine made by Fernet-Branca of Venice & Milan (6) 5 cards published by Forbes Co. printed both front & back with ads for Clark’s spool cotton (7) 4 cards published by Ward Bros. of Columbus OH, larger than those above, , number 2 with back advertising for Florence stoves, Tyler window shades, Prof. Field’s Tape-Worm Remedy, and Smith & Curtiss spices (8) 2 cards with sepia views surrounded by an embossed scroll with ads for Bells’ Buffalo Soap on the face (9) 4 cards published by the Northern Lithographic Co., Chicago for Little Red Schoolhouse Shoes, back advertising promotes their fair display (10) 2 cards with back ads for crackers - a poem - and drugs (11) 2 cards with ads for candy on front only. Many of the card views bear a resemblance to (or outright copy of) the Charles W. Goldsmith designs printed by the American Lithographic Company of New York City for the official postcards.