1940s Inky ~ Irresistible Norcross Kitten

  I found this adorable matchbook 

promotional for "INKY" 

 greeting cards made by 

NORCROSS INC. New York

1940s Inky matchbook cover

"INKY" 

was trademarked by Norcross 1947

for "Goods & Services: Greeting Cards, 

Printed Greeting Folders, Calendars,

 Printed decorative Tags, and printed seals"

source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 

 *******

Daily Boston Globe - Jun 23, 1948

"... like KITTENS INKY is the new irresistible

 black kitten on NORCROSS cards 

 America's Best-loved Greeting Cards

NORCROSS INC."

This IRRESISTIBLE NORCROSS KITTEN is YOURS

Chicago Tribune - Aug 24, 1948

"SOFT as velvet, INKY is the cutest kitten that ever 

got milk in his whiskers ... a new series of 

GREETING CARDS designed by NORCROSS."

Daily Boston Globe - Sep 1, 1948

"...  Have you seen INKY 's the irresistible black kitten on

 NORCROSS greeting cards 

America's Best-loved Greeting Cards NORCROSS ..."

 

NORCROSS, INC. CORPORATION 
NEW YORK 244 MADISON AVENUE NEW YORK NEW YORK
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ATTENTION SWEETHEARTS - Rust Craft Mail From Home Booklet - WWII Soldiers

HAVE YOU A SWEETHEART IN TH E SERVICE?

 This ad is from 1942, it promotes a

 new booklet being offered, free of charge, by Rust Craft 

"Mail From Home"

"Mail From Home" was geared toward assisting loved ones correspond with with servicemen.

  "MAIL FROM HOME 
~ His Most Treasured Possession"

  "A compilation of Postal Information
 and suggestions of Value to the
 family and friends of 
Men in the Service."

".....just off the press- ...filled with valuable information for every mother, every wife, every sweetheart,every friend, of a man in uniform. It's the right size to fit in your purse-yet it contains 16 pages covering all points on sending mail overseas." 

 "For example, it tells you how far in advance to mail Christmas Greetings, Birthday and Anniversary Remembrances, so that they will reach him in time for these occasions.
It gives postage rates, addressing instructions, charts for keeping track of mail...and many other suggestions of value..."

these newspaper ads below show 

some local  promotions for the

 "Mail from Home" booklet

 1942 Ad for H.W. Brown 

"Authorized Headquarters for RUST CRAFT 

'MAIL from HOME'

this H.W. Brown ad pictures the booklet and reminds senders "this is the Last Week to mail Christmas Cards and Gifts to Our Boys in the Service Overseas...." 1942

Pennsylvania store ad HARRISON J. HAYS offering "Mail from Home"1942

Harrison J. Hays "Come in for Your Free Copy 'Mail from Home' 1942

Singer Pen and Gift Shop Jenkins Arcade Pittsburgh  Also Offered: Greeting Cards,Fountain Pens, Pencils, Stationery and Handy Kits for SOLDIERS.1942

ROSENBAUM'S "...We carry a complete selection of cards to be sent to service men either at Christmas or upon other occasions..." 1942

Boggs& Buhl Pittsburgh Post Gazette Oct. 30, 1942

J.R. Weldin Co. Pittsburgh, PA "Mail from Home"

Remembering our Heroes~

 this Memorial Day, and Always 

see more WWII greeting cards
WWII Bride cards
Soldier greeting cards
War Stamp greeting cards

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Edwardian Easter Bromide Trade Card

BROMIDE Easter Greetings Trade Card

this is an early 1900s bromide trade card/sample

 with an adorable Easter scene.

the term BROMIDE refers to a photography

paper that produces a 

neutral black or a "cold" blue-black

 image tone, which you can see in the example above.

 advertising details were printed over the post card graphics on the backside 

WHILE THEY LAST

Bromide

EASTER CARDS

at 

$1.25 per Hundred
ASSORTED, 72 SUBJECTS

Regular $25.00 per thousand cards.
Competitors ask and get that much for them.
These cards retail at five cents.

ORDER QUICK

RAPID SELLING POST CARD
and NOVELTY CO. 

15 Walker Street 
New York 
***********
           
I haven't found out much about the
 Rapid Selling Post Card
 and 
Novelty Company
...what a long name! I did find them listed in the 1909 Trow Directory, within the Printing and Bookbinding section. which noted the "name was discontinued" ..maybe they shortened it?!

source: wiki 

1949 American Greetings Valentine Ad

1949 American Greeting Publishers, Inc. 

"American Greeting VALENTINE CARDS

Straight to the heart"

this sweet 1/4 page ad shows a self serve greeting card fixture with drawers on the bottom for extra stock

(notice the mascot/logo has cupid wings for the season)

American Greetings Corporation

started in 1906 as Sapirstein Greeting Card Company 

J. Sapirstein started, like J.C. Hall (Hallmark), "jobbing" cards

1932: moved the family run (including Sapirstein's sons), 

 home-based business to outside facility

 and began printing their own cards

1934: the company incorporated with $18,000 in capital

 1938: company name is changed to American Greetings Publishers.

1944:  company is incorporated as American Greeting Publishers, Inc. 

1952: company goes public as American Greetings Corporation

1958: established Canadian subsidiary, Carlton Cards, Ltd.

1957: Hi Brows- American Greetings answer to the studio card

1960s started using a 'rose' as part of logo

1964: acquired the House of Paper (party goods, gift wrap & ribbon)

1967: Character Licensing-  Holly Hobbie introduced,

 the first in a series of "those Characters from Cleveland"

1970s: Soft Touch- hippie free love line 

1978: subsidiaries formed  Plus Mark, Inc.,  and A.G. Industries, Inc.

1985 acquired Drawing Board greeting cards company

major brands include: American Greetings,Carlton Cards, Gibson Greetings Inc (acquired in 2000 for $163 million) , Recycled Paper Greetings, and Papyrus, and also includes DesignWare party goods, American Greetings and Plus Mark (1978) gift-wrap and boxed cards and Date Works calendars.

Happy Valentine's Day!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagerecycling
sources: The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
American Greetings history

mid century Halloween Card Shop

Get in the Spirit with a Halloween Window!

Rust Craft would test and suggest various 

window displays for their distributors.  

This is their suggestion for a

 Halloween theme window 1957.

 excerpt as follows: 

Spooks, hobgoblins and witches will be in their favorite haunting grounds the night of October 31st !  Rust Craft suggests a window display which captures much of the spirit of the 'Witching Hour' by the use of traditional (but inexpensive) Halloween symbols and suggested use of colors.

When putting in your window, by all means use BLACK for your background; it will be a contrast for the colorful oranges and yellows of your Halloween cards, particularly Rust Craft........

In the upper half of your window...tack white masks on colorful party streamers.  Place your Rust Craft Window Streamer in the center  Cut out several bats from black cardboard...tie them to string or wire..  

Halloween wouldn't be complete without a witch...so tack up a cardboard witch, taking her annual broomstick ride, in the upper right hand corner...then add a crescent moon to brighten things up. 

  The friendly Rust Craft Ghost fits in the bottom left of your window along with grinning Jack O'Lantern! 

 The finished window won't frighten anyone...

but it will "scare up" lots of customers for 

Halloween cards and party goods!"

Oct 1957 Rustler

Interestingly, I didn't notice any Halloween cards or mention of them in the 1940s issues of Rust Craft that I have.  Although there certainly were Halloween cards they apparently didn't have the marketing value they soon developed. The Sept. and Oct. issues during WWII emphasized the marketing of Christmas cards and the importance of relaying to customers that they should mail early so that soldiers could receive cards in time for the holiday. I found this one pumpkin graphic in 1943 issue, whereas the 1957 issue of the dealer publication features a jack O'lantern on the cover as well as the above window suggestion.

1943 Rust Craft ad

Source: Rust Craft Rustler October 1957 and 1943

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see more
Rust Craft window suggestion for September 1957 

Harry Doehla Distinctive Stationery 1950s

Petal Script Distinctive Stationery, Harry Doehla 1951

This pretty, colorful advertisement shows Harry Doehla STATIONERY Box sets from the "Petal Script" line - 1951

Needlepoint - "all the loving artistry and heart warming charm of an old-fashioned 'SAMPLER' ....dainty, distinctive, and a welcome gift of good taste"

ORCHID LUXURY "as luxurious looking as its name, this extra large '3 stack' box of Orchid Luxury Letter sheets, envelopes and folded notes is a radiant work of art ...a pleasure to give ... a treasure to receive!"

MEMORY LANE "exquisite raised border on this Memory Lane box matches the delicate embossing on the lovely stationery itself ...perfect for personal correspondence ...and a lovely gift for any occasion!"
 

FLORAL ENSEMBLE ~ 4 Exquisite Designs in the same box ...Rose, Dogwood, Wild Rose and Cosmos ...each with it's own exquisitely embossed pastel border, and each its own distinctive print-lined envelopes to match ...Scented with a Delicate floral Fragrance..:"

 

"Nobody who writes letters 

 ever has too much Stationery.

 It is never out of season ...

it is as welcome in May as in December.

 It is the right gift for every age

 ~ from 7 to 70."Doehla Ad

CAMEO PASTEL Correspondence notes ~ "Soft, gentle, velvety pastel tints luscious enough to eat! orchid, pistachio green rose, pink, primrose yellow, sky blue, creamy fawn.  Each with exquisitely die-cut or scalloped edge, and a border of embossing cameo white peeping through the tint"

more about HARRY DOEHLA HERE
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1950s Greeting Card Vintage Home Business Advertisments

These ads, I collected from 1950s magazines...mostly from woman's magazines showing handicrafts to sell at bazaars and such. They show a sample of some of the many companies offering cards to sell from home at the time~start your own home business!!

Boulevard Art Publishers, Chicago Illinois

Creative Card Co. Chicago, Illinois "Creative Cards Turn into Dollars!"

Cardinal Craftsmen, Cincinnati, Ohio  "Show Thrilling, New Gold Luxury Tall Christmas Cards! ..ad shows "Betty Sander, Cardinal Dealer Advisor ..Cardinal was also offering New Gift Wraps By-The-Yard "One Super Roll ...as high as a 5-story building!"

Southern Greetings, N. Hollywood

Southern Greetings, N. Hollywood "Easy Money! Big spare-time Money Maker!"

Western Stationery Co. Topeka Kansas "Genuine Close Out Special!"

Midwest Card Co.

Regal Greeting Card Co. Ferndale Michigan

Boulevard Art Publishers, Chicago Ill.

New England Art Publishers, North Abington Mass.  "Show Friends New Style Christmas and All Occasion Greeting Card Assortments...Folks are Wild About!!

Style Line Greetings, Minneapolis Minn.

Stuart Greetings, Inc.Chicago, Illinois "How do YOU like to say 'Happy Birthday' Best?"...they offered three Birthday verses for you to chose from!

Creative Card Co. Chicago, Illinois  "Let your friends see and FEEL the new idea brilliant plush of our 'Touch-Glow' Christmas Cards and they'll order from you at once!"

Cardinal Craftsmen, Ohio ..What's New in Greeting Cards?? TALL TALL TALL..."show friends Cardinal's big selection of sensational new TALL shape cards~lovelier, superb designs.."

Arrow Greetings Minneapolis Minn.  "Amazing Christmas money maker PARCHMENT CARDS with Name imprinted!"

Midwest Card Company, St. Louis Mo.  ..."Big news for card salespeople! now you can cash in on the huge demand for individual cards for birthdays and other occasions for Sister, Brother, Aunt, Son, Daughter...etc...."

Wallace Brown Inc., New York, NY "Sensational New, First-Time Ideas in Greeting Cards!

Wallace Brown, Inc. New York NY

Colonial Studios, Inc.  "$40 is yours for selling only 50 boxes of our 300 greeting card line...and this can be done in a single day!!"

Puro Greetings, St. Louis Mo. "At Last! Something New and Sensational in Christmas Cards...Superb Satin Velour & Metallic.."

Hedenkamp and Co., Inc. , New York, NY  "Friends, neighbors, others buy on sight. Housewives, clubs, office workers, shut-ins~anyone can make profits to 100%..."

Phillips Card Col. Palo Alto Cal and Newton Mass.  "Imagine~this giant box of cards YOURS FOR ONLY 25 cents!"

Peerless Greetings, Chicago, Illinois "Enjoy pocketfuls of dollars..."

Doehla's Greeting Cards  "The 'New Look' In Cards"

Pen-N-Brush, New York, NY

Sunshine Art Studios Inc.  this ad shows a Good Housekeeping seal  "Yes, $50 can be yours for welling only 50 boxes of our 900 series Christmas Card Line"

another ad for Sunshine Art Studios, Inc., Springfield Mass and Pasadena, California

Mitchell Greetings Co. Detroit, Mich. "Profits for Everyone since '21"

Elliot Greeting Card Co. Elyia, Ohio  "It's Easy! No trick Offers! No Gimmicks!"

Holiday Company, Belford, Virginia ...this company would reward your organization with a 48 Cup Coffee Urn for selling 50 Boxes!!

North Star St. Paul, Minnesota ..."There's Big money in imprinted cards!"

Crestcards, Newark, N.J. "Can you use $75....Send for Samples..."

Chas. C. Schwer Co. Westfield, Mass. "New Unusual Greeting Cards"

 In case all these wonderful ads have you in the mood for buying a card or two for your loved ones ..........come browse Vintage Recycling for a large selection! 

Vintage Recycling Old Stock Greeting Cards