I just received a Baldwin Tool Company catalog, 1858. The front cover is missing, the rest of it is there and possibly one of the dirtiest catalogs I've ever bought. Plus a bunch of other ephemera from the 1850-1870 Savannah, Georgia area that is also covered in dust, old smoke ashes and who knows what else. An easy winters worth of cleaning ahead for all of this stuff. Unlike my usual treatment of an old catalog, this one will have to be disbound and cleaned page by page.
This is not an Arrowmammet Catalog, it's a full line, illustrated, Baldwin Tool Co. catalog. Does anyone have any planes with this imprint? Any plane irons? I know I've seen some irons in the past but don't have any at the moment. I can't remember ever seeing a plane with this stamp. AWP doesn't list a stamp either.
All of this came from an old merchants store in Savannah, Georgia so I assume the grunge on everything is from the period too. The other material is local as well as from the North and the South.
No smell of smoke any longer which gives you an idea of just how long this has been sitting there. The dealer originally had 40 boxes of paper and sold it to another dealer from where, I believe, it found it's way to a university archives. I was lucky enough to provide some assistance to her in explaining various ephemera terms and in return, instead of tossing the 'nasty and dirty' stuff (believe me, it really is) she was kind enough to send it to me along with the material I bought from her.
Lots of absorbene cleaner, lots of polyester sheets and lots of scanning because this stuff is really heat damaged and fragile. But am I arguing?
Bring us your Baldwin Tool Co. stuff, if it exists.
And a Happy New Year Too!
Till next (year), Gary
