Philadelphia ice and coal companies advertising cards
Creation: 1870-1890Abstract
Ice and coal companies delivered ice in summer and coal in winter to meet the growing demands of consumers and businesses for refrigeration and heat. The collection consists of trade cards from seventy-one companies that were used as advertisements and as order tickets for ice and coal.
Dates
- Creation: 1870-1890
Extent
0.5 Linear Foot
General Physical Description
377 prints (advertising cards) ; 9 x 14 cm or smaller.
Historical Note
Ice and coal companies sprang up in nineteenth century America to meet the growing demand of consumers and businesses for refrigeration and heating fuel as the population of cities, such as Philadelphia, increased. Ice and coal were delivered directly to homes and businesses by these companies. Ice was chiseled from large blocks to fit home iceboxes and for industrial use, such as in breweries and butcher shops. Coal delivery was offered by many ice companies as a complementary service during winter months.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of trade cards advertising ice and coal delivery services in the city of Philadelphia. Cards from seventy-one different companies are included in the collection. The cards list the location of the companies, their rates and any other products they might have delivered, such as milk. These cards were primarily advertisements, but could also be placed in a customer's window to indicate they wanted an ice delivery on a particular day.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Language of Materials
English
Subjects
Finding Aid & Administrative Information
- Title:
- Philadelphia ice and coal companies advertising cards
- Author:
- Lisa Gensel and Karen Hansen
- Date:
- 2013
- Description rules:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description:
- English
- Script of description:
- Latin
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Audiovisual Collections Repository
