Enterprise's 1893 World's Fair Trade Cards

World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 and the Enterprise Mfg. Company of Pennsylvania

 

Doug Boilesen 2023

The Enterprise Manufacturing Company of Pennsylvania created what I think are the most interesting series of trade cards from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition (WCE).

One of Enterprise's products, Mrs. Potts' Sad Irons, had their first advertising connection with the Phonograph and with Uncle Sam/Brother Jonathan in 1878.

 

Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper advertisement for Mrs. Potts' Irons, June 1, 1878.

 

Brother Jonathan (during the period when he was morphing into Uncle Sam) and Mrs. Pott's Sad Iron, made by Enterprise Manufacturing. would again connect in the1878 trade card titled "Miss Columbia in the Kitchen and Why" with Columbia ironing Brother Jonathan's hat using a Mrs. Pott's Sad Iron. In this case Brother Jonathan is clearly identified.

 

Miss Columbia and Brother Jonathan in the kitchen with Mrs. Potts' Cold Handle Sad Iron. Sold by Burditt & Williams, Boston, Mass. Circa 1878.

 

At the World's Columbian Exhibition of 1893 Enterprise showed their creativity by advertising their products with "anachronistic historical scenes" and by including an illustration of one of the World's Fair's buildings on each card.

The following are Enterprise Company trade cards from 1893, courtesy of The Library Company of Philadelphia where full descriptions for each card are documented.

 

Enterprise Meat Choppers and Uncle Sam Turning the Crank

The 1893 World's Fair trade card of Uncle Sam turning the crank and advertising Enterprise Meat Choppers can be visualized by Friends of the Phonograph as a replay of Uncle Sam in 1878 cranking a tin-foil phonograph to advertise the Mrs. Potts' Sad Irons (also made by Enterprise and seen above in the 1876 Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper ad for Mrs. Pott's Sad Irons).

 

Trade card for Enterprise Meat Choppers, Donaldson Brothers Litho, New York ©1893 (The Library Company of Philadelphia)

 

Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper advertisement for Mrs. Potts' Irons, June 1, 1878.

 

Back of trade card for Enterprise Meat Choppers, Donaldson Brothers Litho, ©1893

 

Enterprise Sad Irons Trade Card with John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, Plymouth Rocks

 

Trade card for the Enterprise Mfg. Co. at the 1893 Columbian World's Exposition (Enterprise Sad Irons used Mrs. Potts' Sad Iron Patent) by Donaldson Brothers, Litho, NY ©1893- Library Company of Philadelphia. The WCE Woman's Building is also featured.

Here is the Library Company of Philadelphia's Description of the Alden wooing Priscilla card, "true love" that was "rough at first," but "at the end as smooth as if they'd used the Enterprised Sad Irons."

Trade card issued during the Columbian Exposition of 1893 advertising Enterprise Mf'g Co. of Pa. "cold handle sad irons." Contains an anachronistic historical scene captioned "Why Don't You Speak For Yourself John" including the notable Pilgrim couple Priscilla and John Alden. Scene shows John Alden beside a chair on which a jacket rests and behind Priscilla, attired in 19th-century like Pilgrim's attire, ironing a shirt on a table with an Enterprise sad iron. Also contains a view of the Italian Renaissance-style Woman's Building designed by Sophie Hayden. The exposition held in Chicago May 1-October 30, 1898 celebrated the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Enterprise Manufacturing Co. of Pa. was established in 1866.

"Speaks for itself"

When Priscilla says "Why Don't You Speak For Yourself John" another phonograph connection can be made by going from 1) "Why don't you speak for yourself" to 2) Mrs. Potts Iron in the same ad to 3) Mrs. Potts Iron ad in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper 1878 with the tin-foil phonograph to 4) the multiple phonograph companies advertising phrases using "It Speaks for Itself" (United States Talking Machine Co., Munsey's Magazine, November 1898); "Speaks for Itself" (Cleartone Talking Machine, 1919); "Speaks for Itself" (Mag-Ni-Phone, 1916) and "They speak for themselves" (Edison Phonograph, Edison Phonograph Monthly, March 1915.

 

United States Talking Machine Co., Munsey's Magazine, November 1898

 

The following are some of the other Enterprise Company trade cards from1893 and are courtesy of The Library Company of Philadelphia where full descriptions for each card are documented.

Enterprise Faucet and Abe Lincoln

 

Trade card for Enterprise Faucet, Donaldson Brothers Litho, NY ©1893 , (Courtesy The Library Company of Philadelphia)

Honest Abe using the Self measuring, Enterprise Faucet. The WCE's Forerestry Building is also featured.

 

Enterprise Bung Borer and Andrew Jackson at New Orleans

 

Trade card for Enterprise Bung Borer, Donaldson Brothers Litho, NY ©1893. (Courtesy The Library Company of Philadelphia) - Andrew Jackson using the Enterprise Bung Borer with WCE's Machinery Hall also featured.

 

Enterprise Fruit and Jelly Press at Bunker Hill

 

Trade card for Enterprise Fruit and Jelly Press, Donaldson Brothers Litho, NY ©1893. (Courtesy The Library Company of Philadelphia) - Bunker Hill no more...Nelly tells her soldier friend of the Enterprise Fruit & Jelly Press with WCE's Government Building also featured.

 

Enterprise Cork Puller and the Treaty of Paris

 

Trade card for Enterprise Cork Puller, Donaldson Brothers Litho, NY ©1893. (Courtesy The Library Company of Philadelphia) - By the Treaty of Paris, our States were made free with help from the Enterprise Cork Puller with WCE's Massachusett's State Building also featured.

 

Enterprise Cherry Stoner with Continental Army Soldiers

Trade card for Enterprise Cherry Stoner, Donaldson Brothers Litho, NY ©1893. (Courtesy The Library Company of Philadelphia) - "It is the Enterprise Cherry Stoner" with WCE's Mines Building also featured.

 

Enterprise Sprinkler and Horace Greely

Trade card for Enterprise Sprinkler, Donaldson Brothers Litho, NY ©1893. (Courtesy The Library Company of Philadelphia) - Horace Greely says don't needlessly labor - use the Enterprise Sprinkler. WCE's Horticultural Building is also featured.

 

Enterprise Barrel Jack, Truck and Stand and "Tippecanoe & Tyler Too"

Trade card for Enterprise Barrel Jack, Truck and Stand. Donaldson Brothers Litho, NY ©1893. (Courtesy The Library Company of Philadelphia) - "Barrels are set up over the land By the Enterprise Barrel Jack, Truck and Stand." WCE's Transportation Building is also featured.

 

Enterprise Ice Shredder and General Winfred Scott's ice cooled Juleps in 1814.

Trade card for Enterprise Ice Shredder. Donaldson Brothers Litho, NY ©1893. (Courtesy The Library Company of Philadelphia) - "In 1814 Scott, the Indian hero, cooled Juleps using the famous Enterprise Ice Shredder." The Illinois, a full-scale mockup of an Indiana-class coastal defense battleship, constructed as a naval exhibit at the WCE is also featured.

 

Enterprise Bone, Shell and Corn Mill and William Penn in 1682

Trade card for Enterprise Bone, Shell, and Corn Mill. Donaldson Brothers Litho, NY ©1893. (Courtesy The Library Company of Philadelphia) - "In 1682 William Penn made a treaty that Indians use the Enterprise Bone, Shell and Corn Mill. The Electrical Building at the WCE is also featured.

 

Enterprise Sausage Stuffer and Peter Stuyyesant and Knickerbockers

Trade card for Enterprise Sausage Stuffer. Donaldson Brothers Litho, NY ©1893. (Courtesy The Library Company of Philadelphia) - Said Peter Stuyyesant Life would have been rougher without the Enterprise Sausage Stuffer. The WCE Fisheries Building is also featured.

 

Enterprise Coffee Mill and 1773 Boston Tea Party

 

Trade card for Enterprise Coffee Mill. Donaldson Brothers Litho, NY ©1893. (Courtesy The Library Company of Philadelphia) - In 1773 "they spilled the tea then drank their fill of coffee ground in Enterprise Mill." The Fisheries Building at the WCE is also featured.

 

Enterprise Beef Shaver and George Washington in 1776

Trade card for Enterprise Beef Shaver. Donaldson Brothers Litho, NY ©1893. (Courtesy The Library Company of Philadelphia) - In 1773 "they spilled the tea then drank their fill of coffee ground in Enterprise Mill." The Administration Building at the WCE is also featured.

 

Phonographia