apolune
Aluminum
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2004
- Location
- San Francisco
Found this on ebay a couple of years ago; title was just ‘salesman’s card’ in the collectible tool section. The front shows 25 Standard Tool Co. tools, but none of these illustrations are from STC’s catalogs or advertisements. They must have been created at some expense just for this card.
The rear is a photograph and is just fabulous to a tool collector like me. I’d date it to 1895-1900 based on the Starrett screwdrivers in the smaller case that were only in their 1895 catalog and the Richardson levels that STC replaced with their own design seen in their 1901 catalog. None of the tools are rare. The bottom of the photo shows the case with the two panels above that fit into the case. The smaller case shows non-STC tools.
The best part to me is not the tools, but the glimpse into how tool salesman operated in the day with their cards and samples. Research by PM member Honrick found Geo. Snyder’s passport application from 1893 that I have included below. His face is described as regular, dandy(?) mustache. Maybe it’s not dandy, but it’s appropriate. Honrick pointed out that the passport witness was Frank E. Wing who was a big shot at Starrett, and Charles Churchill & Co. in London was a major importer of American tools.
————————————————————————————————————
information from his passport application Sept. 18, 1893 / passport was issued Sept 20, 1893
George W. Snyder
-born May 29, 1860 at Waterport, Orleans County, New York
-his “permanent address” is Athol, Worcester County, MA
-occupation is “travelling salesman”
-Age: 33 years old
-Stature: 5 feet, 8 1/2 inches
-Forehead: medium
-Eyes: blue
-Nose: German
-Mouth: medium
-Chin: regular
-Hair: dark
-Complexion: medium
-Face: regular. (dandy ?) mustache
-witness to application is Frank E. Wing, Athol, Mass.
-passport is to be sent to George W. Snyder,
-care of Charles Churchill & Co. Ltd.
21 Cross St.
London, England
Here’s a link to a PM thread on a STC beam micrometer with some discussion questioning if its engine turned pattern is original. The closeup of the two from the card shows the pattern is probably original. I’ve never seen this pattern on other STC beam micrometers. So maybe they were made for salesmen, and maybe the one on this PM thread is from George’s case.
Standard Tool, Athol, Ma. World Record Price!
The rear is a photograph and is just fabulous to a tool collector like me. I’d date it to 1895-1900 based on the Starrett screwdrivers in the smaller case that were only in their 1895 catalog and the Richardson levels that STC replaced with their own design seen in their 1901 catalog. None of the tools are rare. The bottom of the photo shows the case with the two panels above that fit into the case. The smaller case shows non-STC tools.
The best part to me is not the tools, but the glimpse into how tool salesman operated in the day with their cards and samples. Research by PM member Honrick found Geo. Snyder’s passport application from 1893 that I have included below. His face is described as regular, dandy(?) mustache. Maybe it’s not dandy, but it’s appropriate. Honrick pointed out that the passport witness was Frank E. Wing who was a big shot at Starrett, and Charles Churchill & Co. in London was a major importer of American tools.
————————————————————————————————————
information from his passport application Sept. 18, 1893 / passport was issued Sept 20, 1893
George W. Snyder
-born May 29, 1860 at Waterport, Orleans County, New York
-his “permanent address” is Athol, Worcester County, MA
-occupation is “travelling salesman”
-Age: 33 years old
-Stature: 5 feet, 8 1/2 inches
-Forehead: medium
-Eyes: blue
-Nose: German
-Mouth: medium
-Chin: regular
-Hair: dark
-Complexion: medium
-Face: regular. (dandy ?) mustache
-witness to application is Frank E. Wing, Athol, Mass.
-passport is to be sent to George W. Snyder,
-care of Charles Churchill & Co. Ltd.
21 Cross St.
London, England
Here’s a link to a PM thread on a STC beam micrometer with some discussion questioning if its engine turned pattern is original. The closeup of the two from the card shows the pattern is probably original. I’ve never seen this pattern on other STC beam micrometers. So maybe they were made for salesmen, and maybe the one on this PM thread is from George’s case.
Standard Tool, Athol, Ma. World Record Price!