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Henry A. Hall and Company : Original Billheads - Henry A. Hall and Company, Boston, Massachusetts

Fourteen original billheads on blue and beige paper with printed text and handwriting in black ink. Various dates in the years 1857, 1858, 1859, 1861, and 1862. The business location is listed as Boston, Massachusetts on the billheads. Sizes range between about 7 3/4" x 4 1/4" and 8 1/4" x 7." Billheads are very clean and intact. Paper has a few horizontal and vertical fold lines. Fourteen Fine copies. The handwritten portions include the name of the buyer, the item(s) purchased, the price of the item(s), and acknowledgment of the buyer's payment. Among the purchased items are a pair of leggings, "Old Woman in Shoe" [a toy or figurine?], whips, footballs, "Sponge Balls," penholders, "Shaving Brushes," "Side Combs," "Round Combs," "Childrens Long Combs," "Fine Combs," "Braid," "Mittens," "Doll Heads," a pair of shoes, and coats. Two of the billheads have an illustration that compares "The man that don't wear Rubber Clothes" and "The man that wears Rubber Clothes"; the former struggles against the rain and headwind while the latter looks reasonably comfortable. The printed header has two versions among the billheads. One reads, "[Buyer name] Bought of Henry A. Hall & Co., Agents for North American Gutta Percha Co's. Vulcanized Water-Proof Fabrics, Clothing, Packing, Belting, &c., 146 Congress Street, Boston." The other reads, "[Buyer name] Bought of Henry A. Hall & Co., Commission Merchants, and Agents for the Sale of Every Description of Gutta Percha and India Rubber Goods, Machine Belting, Steam Packing, Hose, Clothing, Boots and Shoes, Gloves, Mittens, Surgical Articles, Life Preservers, Stationers' Gum, Bands, Rings, &c. Pen and Pencil Cases, Toys, Balls, Combs, &c., &c., 146 Congress Street." Henry A. Hall & Company was one of many dealers who sold rubber products following the invention of vulcanized (stabilized) rubber in the 1830s and the establishment of the first U.S. rubber company, The Roxbury India Rubber Company, in 1833. The buyer, P. Whitin & Sons, was a cotton manufacturing company in Northbridge, Massachusetts. Paul Whitin (1767-1831) was a pioneering businessman and blacksmith who helped establish the Northbridge Cotton Manufacturing Company in 1809. The Whitinsville village of Northbridge is named after him. Paul and his relatives founded another cotton manufacturing company in 1815 called Whitin & Fletchers. Paul gained sole ownership of Whitin & Fletchers in 1826, and together with his sons Paul, Jr. and John, renamed the company P. Whitin & Sons. After the passing of their father in 1831, Paul, Jr. and John bought the Northbridge Manufacturing Company. Paul's two other younger sons, Charles and James, would later join P. Whitin & Sons. In 1864, the four brothers dissolved P. Whitin & Sons and sold the company store to their cousin, Paul Whitin Dudley, which was renamed P. W. Dudley & Company. Paul, Jr., John, Charles, and James went on to form their own companies. P. Whitin & Sons had also manufactured cotton machinery. James had invented a cotton picker machine that outperformed previous models. This invention helped propel his business, Whitin Machine Works (WMW), into prominence as one of the world's largest textile machinery companies. WMW, or "The Shop" as known to locals, was a mainstay in Whitinsville until 1966 when it was sold to White Consolidated Industries (WCI; formerly White Sewing Machine Company). In 1986, WCI was acquired by Electrolux, which operates to this day as a leading appliance manufacturer.. Ephemera. Book Condition: Collectible-Fine. Binding: No Binding

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