Thursday, July 8, 2010

Vintage Ephemera Surprise

The thing that I enjoy most about estate sales, other than great bargains on cool stuff, is that sometimes it offers a little peek into a time capsule. Sometimes mid-century, sometimes retro 70's and sometimes just miscellaneous stuff from another age and time.


At the estate sale that I attended last month, there was a basket of sewing notions that were priced by a person who did not think much of sewing notions. Most of the things were bagged together randomly for 50 cents or a dollar. I picked up several baggies of various assorted goodies and one of them had this cute nautical ribbon...


...and about 10 yards of very old lace, wrapped up in a big brownish wad. I unwrapped the lace and found this:


A business card advertising a livery stable situated about a half mile from where the famous 18th and Vine Jazz District and Negro Leagues Museum are now. (And Arthur Bryant's Barbecue - the original one) All those things came much later, though. I am thinking that the livery business must have been from the 20's or 30's.

A quick look at Google Earth, shows that the city bus company office is there, now. Still a transportation business, but no need for Scientific Horseshoeing!

The ribbon is in the Etsy shop. I am not sure what to do with the business card. I might just stick it in with some sewing notions and let someone find it at another estate sale - hopefully many years from now!

9 comments:

giddy99 said...

Oh, how interesting! Thanks for posting. I just love finding old ads like that - the phone numbers are especially fascinating to me, for some reason. :)

Iron Needles said...

I noticed the phone numbers, too. Also, I would be interested (of course) to know what constituted 'scientific' horse-shoeing as opposed to run-of-the-mill or, perhaps, artistic? horse-shoeing...

Lynne said...

Wow, fascinating little piece of history tucked into your find! The only thing that would have made it better would have been an actual date on the card but it looks like you narrowed it down pretty well!

jan said...

Hi Giddy99! Thanks for stopping by! I think the numbers are interesting, too. Like what is the difference between the 'home phone' and the 'bell phone'? Another era...

Iron - hahaha! For some reason 'artistic horse-shoeing' makes me think of Clydesdales in high heels!

Lynne, I imagine that there are city directories that would answer the question. I might see what the library can tell me, next time I am in town!

Miri said...

Very interesting! I noticed how the phone number is written-40 Grand. In NYC it would have been Grand 40. I'm thinking the 40 means it was the 40th phone installed in Kansas City...a truly modern stable-scientific horseshoeing and a telephone!

I just love serendipity ephemera!

Martha said...

The Bell Phone/Home Phone thing is so interesting and I can't find anything about it even though I've been searching for over 30 minutes.

I really wanted to be the hero.

Stickhorsecowgirls said...

That is so interesting--Wish I could luck upon some good notions at an estate sale--I'm looking for a sewing bird.

Gaynell said...

I think the card is from an earlier time than you guessed. Perhaps the late 1800's since it is in a main part of downtown..and lists several types of carriages to "hire" along with the offer of boarding several types of horses. It seems to me that "horseless" carriages were pretty common by the 20's. Interesting that they offer horseshoeing, not "farrier" services.

Allie said...

How neat! Love the ribbon. I love estate sales for the very same reasons!