Another remarkable piece of ephemera in my collection is a folded document detailing the discharge of Joseph Gregory, also known as Josephus A. Gregory, a private in Captain James Cadot’s Company F, First Regiment of the Ohio Heavy Artillery. Enrolled on August 22, 1862, to serve for three years or Continue Reading
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Till Death Do Us Part: A 1936 Tragedy
“Tragedy halted a marriage planned for Greenup Saturday night when Misses Kathryn Truesdell, 18, of Friendship was injured fatally in an automobile accident on Route 125 about a half mile west of Friendship about 3:30 PM yesterday.” “She died from a broken neck while en route to Mercy hospital in Continue Reading
Veteran CCC Enrollee Eugene Bell Falls Dead
“Eugene Bell, 40, colored, of Cedar Avenue, Cleveland, a member of the World war veterans unit occupying Camp Roosevelt on Turkey Creek, fell dead of a heart attack at 11:35 AM today.” “Bell was in the headquarters office signing paper for his discharge from the CCC when fatally stricken. Dr. Continue Reading
Let Flowers Be Her Valentine
This beautiful advertisement by Gustav William “Gus” Putzek, owner of Knost Floral Company at 1229 17th Street, Portsmouth, Ohio, got right to the point: “Thrill her with red roses. Capture her heart with gay violets. Delight her with a bright bouquet of carnations. We have a grand selection -have us Continue Reading
The WPA Map of Veteran Burials on Long Run
Two WPA-created maps of documenting the burials of veterans in Clay Township, Scioto County, Ohio. This left map illustrates the burials at the Long Run United Brethren Cemetery and the right map documents the burials at Long Run Universal Cemetery.
Ephemera Friday #7: Karl Zoellner Promoted
Today’s Ephemera Friday comes from Portsmouth, Ohio’s Public Schools. On June 11th 1897, Miss Emma M. Cramer presented the above certificate to a 13-year-old Karl Zoellner. This Certificate of Promotion entitled young Zoellner to admission to Advanced Grammar, which given his age, would be equivalent to today’s middle school. Interestingly, Continue Reading
Ephemera Friday #5: Mike Dressler’s Electric Barber Shop
Charles Michael “Mike” Dressler, barber and son of Civil War Veteran Mitchell Dressler and Caroline Gubble, operated his Electric Barber Shop at 223 Market Street in Portsmouth, Ohio. The above ephemera is business card sized and features a comical 1892 illustration by Theo A. Kochs showing a mechanical hair cutting Continue Reading
1942: Portsmouth, Ohio, Bombarded
“Portsmouth retail stores joined thousands of others throughout the nation Wednesday in launching a month-long ‘Retailers for Victory’ campaign to sell war stamps and bonds.” “While airplanes ‘bombarded’ the city with leaflets urging public support of the ‘bargain sale’, all commercial sales were halted in retail stores from noon to Continue Reading
Ephemera Friday #4: Portsmouth Shoe Manufactory
This small, business card-sized calling card is this week’s ephemera. While it isn’t quite understood what the message of a juggling auburn-haired child was meant to relay this card is certainly eye catching and distinct from other cards of the period. It bears the address of the company it represents: Continue Reading
Ephemera Friday #2: The J.F. Davis Drug Company Advertisement
Today’s piece of ephemera is a postcard-sized advertisement from the J.F. Davis Drug Company, distributors of Johnston’s Dull Kote Paint, located at 518-520 Second Street, Portsmouth, Ohio. When we think paint we don’t often remember that the compounding expertise of pharmacists were essential to creating color matching paint in a Continue Reading