In the mid-1850's major cities in the United States began publishing pictorial envelopes with patriotic themes. This collection consists of envelopes with printed cover illustrations from the American Civil War.

Numerous United States Federal agencies issued posters throughout World War II in order to support the war effort. The Railway Labor Executives' Association (RLEA) was founded in 1926 as a lobbist group for railroad labor unions. This item is a poster issued by the RLEA titled "Guard the Homefront" and is designed to encourage people to vote.

The Laflin and Rand Powder Company, one of the largest gunpowder manufacturers in the nineteenth century, was formed from several predecessor companies, including the Laflin Powder Company and the Smith & Rand Powder Company. This item is the 1899 calendar with an illustration of a sailor from the U.S.S. Oregon.