Dr. Ivan Gilbert Trade Catalog & Ephemera Collection
A Guide and Inventory
SPEC.RARE.CMS.333

Guide compiled by Alyson Sewell, Lisa Iacobellis, Jose Diaz

INTRODUCTION

Dr. Ivan S. Gilbert, Columbus native, medical doctor, entrepreneur, and 2007 inductee in the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame for fencing, has been a collector his entire life. A collector of art and artifacts, Dr. Gilbert’s greatest collecting area has been books, manuscripts, and ephemera. The Ohio State University Rare Books and Manuscripts Library acquired his extensive trade catalog collection in 2005. Trade catalogs constitute one of the primary sources of material of technology and industry. They are a useful source for the study of subjects ranging from business and family history to the history of advertising. Trade literature can be defined as “promotional material produced by or on behalf of manufacturers or retailers describing goods for sale.” They encourage sales by making advertising claims, describing products, offering testimonials from satisfied customers, and including detailed descriptions as well as images of sale products. The Dr. Ivan Gilbert Trade Catalog and Ephemera Collection, in The Ohio State University’s Rare Books and Manuscripts Library include catalogs and other materials that chiefly span the years 1830s to 1970s. With nearly 10,000 items, the collection is an important resource to educate scholars and students on the rise of American industry and commerce, and concomitantly, the emergence of America’s consumer culture. The Ohio State University’s Rare Books and Manuscript Library is currently organizing the collection and several digital projects are under consideration.

Dr. Jose O. Diaz
April, 2009

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Overview of the Collection:

Repository:	Rare Books and Manuscripts Library
Identification:	SPEC.RARE.CMS.333
Creator:	Dr. Ivan S. Gilbert
Title:	Dr. Ivan Gilbert Trade Catalog & Ephemera Collection
Dates:	1830s to 1970s
Quantity:	approximately 10,000 items
Description:	trade catalogs (from both vendors and manufactureres) and sample books

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The collection is still in process. Individual items are being entered into an MS Access database, which may be used in the Jack and Jan Creighton Special Collections Reading Room in Thompson Library on the OSU campus. This database will periodically be exported into Excel for ready web access by anyone having the Excel software on their computer. The presentation sort is by primary subject matter, followed by manufacturer. Once opened on an individual's computer it may then be sorted as desired. There are currently 1899 records available.

Link to: Excel version of the database

In addition, the collection has been pre-sorted for the project into subject categories, so that a visitor may request to see materials from the box(es) containing the subject of their interest.

Processed Box Listing:

Boxes 1-3 of 64 & Box 4, Folders 1-5:

Agricultural Implements, Tools, and Machinery
mowers, wheelbarrows, fertilizer, farmer’s almanac, farmer’s year book, combines, plows, thresher, tractors, silo fillers, harvesting machinery, reaping machinery, barn equipment, harrows, farm wagons, hay and straw press, silage machinery, potato machinery, planters, grain drills, hay loader, shellers, grinders, cultivator, stump puller, tanks, troughs, cockle machine, log skidder, fly paper, pesticide, duster, rakes, hoe, corn binders, manure spreaders, flame gun, corn huskers, grain bins, towers, cisterns, ensilage cutters, feed mills

Box 4 of 64, Folders 6-8:

Tobacco
cigarette machines, convention guide to the National Association of Tobacco Distributers Inc. 5th Annual Convention (1937), cigarette advertisements, catalog for mail order liquor house, price list of wines and liquors, spirit stock book, catalog of wines/whiskies/liqueurs/beverages, cigar box labels, cigar bands, pipes, brands of tobacco, cigar cutters, lighters, cigars, handbook and implements of tobacco harvesting, humidors

Box 4, Folders 9-13, Boxes 5-10 of 64:

Architectural Building Materials
flooring, concrete/cement, garages, doors, sashes, ready-built homes, sheet metal, roofing supplies, gutters, plans for building/designing/decorating a house, ceiling designs, weather strips, moulding, trim, shingles, tile, window screens, green houses, cupola, insulation, stair work, windowalls, woodwork, verandas, railings, mantels, fireplace, cabins, home owners’/home builders’/architectural catalogs, window frames, blinds, projected windows, air-conditioning, rolling doors, window glass, plate glass, skylight/ventilator, store fronts, plywood, millwork handbook/supplies, jail/prison building instructions, The National Builder (4 issues from various months in 1905), chimney supplies, window screens
(Note: 1 oversized item – in Box 64 of 64)

Box 11 of 64, Box 12, Folders 1-4

Artists Materials and Supplies
pyrographic decorations/pyrography, ribbon art, drawing materials, craft supplies, do-it-yourself handbooks, pastels, material for basket-making, colored pencils, watercolors, Indian crafts (bead), leather craft, decorate-your-own china/dishware, stencils, drawing stands, art needle work, metal art, wood engraving/carving, brushes, art photo engraving, tissue paper art, macramé, shell craft, leather craft/hand-made leather products

Box 12, Folders 5-13, Boxes 13-17 of 64:

Automobiles
Catalogs for respective cars/trucks, service station equipment, car parts, accessories for cars, wind shield, garage equipment/supplies, goggles and eye protectors, car batteries, radiators and condensers, gyroscope, seat covers, car lighting, tires (repair equipment), motorcycle, truck body forging, lacquer enamels for car finishing, trailers (Note: all oversized items in box 14; one item in box 15)

Box 18 of 64, Folders 1-7:

Barbers’ Supplies
Wigs, beautician/beauty shop supplies, chairs, razors, sinks, hair styling books, hair crimper, manicure equipment and instruction

Box 18, Folders 7-10:

Beekeepers Equipment
Bee ware and supplies

Box 18, Folder 11:

Bells and Bell Founders
Buzzers, horns, sleigh bells

Box 19 of 64, Folders 1-8:

Bicycles and Accessories
Motor bikes, tires, wheels, bicycle sundries/supplies, bike lamps

Box 19, Folders 9-11, Box 20:

Boats and Ships, Marine Hardware and Supplies
Sponges, chamois, boat motors, knots, canoes, passenger ships/cruises, nautical instruments, life-saving devices (life-jacket), list of merchant ships

Box 21 of 64, Box 22 Folders 1-6:

Books, Booksellers, and Publishers
Maps, atlases, almanacs, actual books, magazines, journals, catalogs for books/magazines, collection of writings, scrapbook, sheet music, encyclopedias, farmers’ almanac, historical autographs, posters
(Note: 1 oversized item (Ladies’ Home Journal) – Box 14, Folder 3)

Box 22, Folders 7-12, Box 23:

Carriages, Wagons, and Accessories
Baby carriages, wheels, harness, wagons, carriage hardware

Box 24 of 64:

Miscellaneous catalogs, all listed in the database

Box 25:

Celebration, Decoration, and Theatrical Goods
This category only partially processed. The remainder of the materials may be found under the pre-processed numbers as listed below

Box 26:

oversized items

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Unprocessed Box Listing:

Box 23 of 64:

Celebration, Decoration, and Theatrical Goods
Fireworks, theatrical make-up guide, crepe paper decorations, tissue paper decorations, table decorations, favors, theater dimmer handbook, costumes, masks, Christmas decorations, parade floats, motion pictures, listing of actors (for use by an agent), flower arrangements, decorative initials to be used in monograms, inscriptions, balloons, catalogue of plays, theatre equipment and supplies, flags

Box 24 of 64:

China and Pottery
ceramic kilns, plain white ware, china figures

Box 25 of 64:

Clocks and Watches
(Overlap with “jewelry” and “silverware”, watchmakers’ tools and supplies)

Box 26-30 of 64:

Clothes, Overclothes, Underclothes, Hats, and Shoes
Fashion magazines
(Note: 4 oversized items – in Box 64 of 64)

Box 31-32 of 64:

Dental Instruments, Furnishings and Supplies

Box 33-46 of 64:

Department, Dry goods, and Miscellaneous Stores
Goods that can be acquired by coupons/number of subscriptions/food stamps, catalogs containing numerous types of things

Box 47-48 of 64:

Drugs and Pharmaceuticals
AVON products, toiletries, druggist supplies, feminine products, beauty appliances, perfumes, herbal remedies

Box 49 of 64:

Fences
Wire cloth, wire screens

Box 50 of 64:

Firearms

Box 51 of 64:

Fire Engines
Fire safety devices, firemen’s equipment, fire protection

Box 52 of 64:

Food and Drink

(Note: 1 oversized item – Box 83)

Box 53-56 of 64:

Furniture
Filing cabinets, beds, mattresses, laboratory furniture, vanishing door
(Note: 3 oversized items – Box 82)

Box 57 of 64:

Glassware

Box 58-63 of 64:

Hardware – Builders’ Hardware and General Hardware Goods

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Unprocessed Box Listing, Second Set of Boxes:

Box 1-5 of 83:

Hardware and tools
Ladders, scaffolding, door hardware, furniture hardware, locks, chains, rubber hardware, general tools (wrench, tacks, nails, staples, bolts, nuts, springs, saws, drills, etc.), cutlery, twine, corks, sand, concrete, pails, buckets, drop forgings, rope, brooms, brushes, measuring tape, axes, power tools, upholstery hardware, woodworking machinery and tools, ice tools, galvanized metal ware

Box 6-14 of 83:

Hardware – Tools and Machinery by Trade and Industries
Locksmith tools and machinery (keys), oil industry, mill, mine, contractor, shoe making/repairing tools, refiners, metal working, industrial tools and machinery, textile machinery, dyes, welding, paper mill supplies, forestry supplies, air-brush machinery, grinding, tanks/boxes for industrial purposes, lubricators, broom-making machinery, engineering, electroplating and polishing machinery, hoisting/lifting/moving equipment, leather scouring/hide working machinery, lathes, taxidermy, prospectors’ tools, tanning tools and equipment

Box 15 of 83:

Hardware – Miscellaneous machinery, engines and supplies
Door closers, automatic screwing machinery, turbines, engines, boilers, things to do with steam, power generators, motors, sanitary equipment

Box 16-17 of 83:

Horse-related Goods
Hay fork, harness, saddlery, horse collar, horse shoes, riding apparel, blankets/covers, pads for horses, stable fittings, breeding catalogs from horse farms, horseshoe equipment, riding equipment

Box 18-20 of 83:

House Furnishings
Cleaning supplies/appliances (brooms, vacuums, feather dusters, brushes), garden accessories/decorations, drapery, fans, racks, railings, cabinets, bookshelves, lamps, rugs, floor coverings, home decorations, window shades, hammocks, metal ware, linens, frames, fire place accessories, dowels, statuary, hand wrought fixtures, mirrors, medicine cabinets, candle/candlestick, household electric goods, bags/suitcases/trunks/luggage, cages for pets (birds), iron, umbrella, baskets,
(Note: 1 oversized item (Garden ware) -- Box 83)

Box 21-22 and Box 24 of 83:

Jewelry
(Overlap with “watches” and “silverware”)
(Note: There is no Box 23.)

Box 25 of 83:

Lighting by Candle, Oil, Gas, and Electricity
(Overlap with “house furnishings”)
(Note: 1 oversized item – Box 83)

Box 26 of 83:

Livestock
Incubators, supplies for the care of livestock (chickens, cows, pigs, goats, sheep, etc.), brooders, milkers, cream separators, dairy/creamery supplies

Box 27 of 83:

Magic Lanterns, Stereoscopes and Stereopticons

Box 28-30 of 83:

Medical and Surgical Instruments and Supplies
Skeletons, advice on staying healthy, advice on how to handle certain medical situations, hearing aids, prosthetics, invalid equipment

Box 31-32 of 83:

Musical Instruments and Accessories
Pianos, player piano, piano legs, piano strings, guitar strings

Box 33-37 of 83:

Optical and Scientific Apparatus
Engineering Supplies, Binoculars, microscope

Box 38 of 83:

Ornamental Ironwork
Iron fencing, window guards, fire escapes, canopies, folding gates, jail cells, railings, lamp posts, wire signs, porticos, bent iron work, venetian iron work, art metal work, antique wrought ironwork, forged iron hardware, structural ironwork

Box 39-40 of 83:

Paint – Covering many trades and industries
Lacquer, varnish, interior decoration, wall paper, wall-coverings, brushes, painters’ supplies and equipment, floor coatings, treatment for floor/woodwork/furniture, enamel
(Note: 1 over sized item (Universal Wallpaper Co.) – Box 82)

Box 41 of 83:

Photographic Apparatus and Supplies
Photo engraving supplies

Box 42-43 of 83:

Plumbing – Wood, Lead, Brass and Chromium
(Overlap with “heating equipment, “hardware – builders’ hardware and general hardware”, and “pumps and water wheels”), toilets, toilet seats, sinks, valves, plumbing fixtures for the home, sewer pipe

Box 44-45 of 83:

Printers’ Specimens, Presses, and Equipment

Box 46 of 83:

Printers’ Samples of Work Catalogs
samples of works printed on a specific type of paper, tags, labels, cuts for presses, book plates

Box 47 of 83:

Pumps and Water Wheels
(Overlap with “hardware: Engines”) Water systems, sewers, sprayers, spray pumps, water filters, wells, water meter, water storage

Box 48 of 83:

Railroad Equipment – Locomotives, Rolling Stock and Supplies
Guide to districts accessible by railways

Box 49 of 83:

Refrigerators

Box 50 of 83:

Road Building Machinery and Equipment
Municipal supplies, steel flumes (canal building), construction buckets, grading pavement, rock drills and sharpeners, snow plows/scoops, street flusher (for street cleaning), concrete mixer, plows, explosives, power drag scrapers

Box 51 of 83:

Scales and Weighing Devices
Measuring devices (thermometers), balances

Box 52 of 83:

Seedsmen and Nurserymen’s Products
Seeds, bulbs, trees, shrubs, landscaping plants, sowing machine

Box 53 of 83:

Sewing Machines and Accessories
Shoe store supplies, shoe repairing equipment, silk, art needlework, knitting equipment/directions, crochet equipment/directions, yarns, threads, needles, embroidery, hooks/fasteners, patterns, ribbon

Box 54 of 83:

Silverware

(Note: 1 oversized item (big green book) – Box 81)

Box 55-57 of 83:

Sporting Goods
Camping equipment, fishing, hunting, cockfighting, athletic sports equipment, L.L. Bean catalogs, NFL Superbowl Badge Book, Abercrombie Co. catalogs, canvas goods

Box 58 of 83:

Stationary
Calendars, cut-outs, train tickets, greeting cards, loose leaf paper, postal cards, papers of various kinds, labels, advertising blotters, lithographed products, covers, types of paper, blank books, stamps
(Note: 1 oversized item (lithographed bond blanks) – Box 81)

Box 59-60 of 83:

Stoves and Heating Equipment
Ranges, radiators, boilers, furnaces, coal burners, cook stoves (overlap with “Cookery”)

Box 61 of 83:

Telephones and Typewriters

Box 62-63 of 83:

Toys, Games, and Entertainment
Circus equipment, magic supplies

Box 64 of 83:

Undertakers’ Equipment and Paraphernalia

Box 65 of 83:

Washing Machines, Weather Vanes, and Windmills

MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORIES

Box 66 of 83:

Fraternal Organizations – Supplies and Paraphernalia

Box 67-70 of 83:

Electronics
Amplifiers, digital electronics, circuits, electronics systems, industrial electronics, household electronics, sound systems, transistors, radio, television, phonograph, telegraph, compact disc player, jukeboxes, microphone, motion picture cameras, electric batteries, switchboards

Box 71 of 83:

Art
Academic art, aesthetics, antiques, archaeology and art, art objects/muses, decorative and ornamental art

Box 72 of 83:

Schools – Institutions and Supplies

Box 73-74 of 83:

Cookery
Baker’s supplies, cook books, apparatuses for the processing of food, pots and pans, cooking supplies, canning and preserving, home bottling, (overlap with “stoves”), evaporators, maple syrup utensils, butchers’ equipment, coffee mills, brewery supplies, soda fountain supplies, popcorn poppers, peanut butter making equipment, cream separators, ice cream maker

Box 75 of 83:

Airplanes
Animals
Domestic animals, exotic animals, game and game-birds, zoology, pet industry, veterinary medicine

Box 76 of 83:

• Elevators
• Religious Articles
• Police Equipment and Supplies
• Lightning Protection (Rods, Conductors)
• Military Supplies
• Libraries

Box 77 of 83:

• Real Property (real estate)
• Signs and Signboards
• Advertising
• Safes (vaults, strong rooms)
• Matchbox labels (match covers)
• Parachuting

Box 78 of 83:

Commerce
Office Equipment and Supplies, show cases, restaurant/tavern/hotel supplies

Box 79 of 83:

• Insurance
• Stock exchanges
• Business Enterprise (catalogs of)
• Biography (organizations, persons, cities, etc.)
• Rubber Goods
• Postal Service Equipment
• Plastics