Messenger for the Palace

The third time will not be the charm for this bottle. While working on this one, I had a vision of a Russell label to match the cigar box pictured below. Might be a nice combination.

There's also a square top box label that is pretty close to the same design as pictured below. My thinking is I should make a Bateman & Switzer Whiskey label of my own.

To me, either one of them is not really a very good likeness of Charlie. I can do better.

Brownie Number 1 - I Shutter

A very significant piece of old paper from the ledger of C. W. Rank & Company in Virginia City, Montana. Water stained on the edges, chipped on the upper edge, and toning all around. Am I happy I found it? Yes, yes I am.

As can be seen in the lower section, the invoice is dated April 15, 1901. This date is significant not because it's the date our income taxes come due (income tax would not be a burden for another twelve years), but because by October of 1901, the Brownie Number 1 camera would be discontinued. George Eastman, the founder of the Eastman Kodak Company, began selling the Brownie Number 1 in 1900 for the princely (not really) sum of ONE DOLLAR. Of course C. W. Rank got a discount of 33%, which brought his cost to only fifty cents, since his was a retail establishment. Probably a good move on C. W. Rank's part to turn around and sell this one camera, and order a few more.

For those of you interested in the history of the Brownie Camera, I urge you to visit a page devoted to all things Brownie Camera related, called The Brownie Camera Page. I decided a long time ago that if I ever found any Kodak paper that was of the right period for a Palmer Cox Brownie, I knew what was going to end up on it.

George Eastman was a marketing genius, and because this camera is considered to be the most significant camera in the history of cameras, he chose to team up with Palmer Cox. It was a good move. Children (and adults) at the turn of the century were well aware of the Brownies, and there was never a better way to encourage the sale of cameras to the common folk than Brownies.

Dogs for Defense - 1943 - 200th post

I'm leading this one off with the finished image. This is a manila envelope, 8 1/2 " by just over 11", and has a  1 1/2 cent Martha Washington stamp affixed. The stamp is postmarked Grand Central Annex, New York, N. Y. There is no date stamp, but the year is 1943.

This envelope is addressed to Forrest Carville, Burns, Mont. The contents are even more interesting, but I'll get to that in a moment. Forrest & Edna Carville lived Northwest of Burns near Savage. They are listed as being there in 1909, and probably homesteaded, although I don't know if that can be verified. I'm checking on that. There should be property records that would indicate either a 160 Acre homestead, or if they both filed, it could possibly have been 320 Acres. Regardless, they lived there until 1961, when Forrest died. Edna remained until she died in 1991. They had no children. If you don't know what Eastern Montana is or was like, I can tell you: They were pretty isolated, probably 15 or twenty miles from the nearest General Store.

Although the embossed seal in the lower left corner of the certificate is not really visible, I can tell you what it says: Quartermaster General of the U. S. Army, OFFICIAL across the center of the seal, and War Dept. across the bottom. I don't know whether Forrest donated a dog, or if the dog they did donate was named Puppie. I have never seen anything like this, and I found it in an antique shop in Glendive, MT. I paid a whole dollar for it - and didn't open it until I was back home.

This is the other piece of smaller paper that was in the envelope, and it repeats the corner card which appear in the upper left hand corner on the envelope.

I will be offering this at the Western Heritage Artist show during Western Art Week next month, with a portion of the proceeds to support the Montana Wounded Warriors and the Wounded Warriors Project.

I'm hoping that All three pieces will find a new home.