Railroad Ephemera

"Miss Clara Wagner with her motorcycle at Coenties Slip, New York, using the Eclipse Coaster Brake. 30206. Photo only by A. Loeffler, Tompkinville, N.Y." -------- According to Wikipedia, " Clara Marian Wagner (1891-1961) was the first documented woman motorcyclist who became notable as an endurance racer and was sponsored by the Eclipse Machine Co., a bicycle company, for using its braking products. In 1907, Clara, aged 15 years old and the daughter of the Wagner Motorcycle Company (1901-1914) owner George Wagner from Saint Paul, Minnesota, became a member of the American Federation of Motorcyclists (FAM). Clara put the company's motorcycles on the map by achieving a perfect score in a FAM 360 mile endurance race from Chicago to Indianapolis in 1910, aged 18, but was denied the trophy because she was female." In the early twentieth century, the Eclipse Machine Company published a series of advertising postcards like this one that featured exaggeratedly large women and men with correspondingly huge motorcyles and bicycles in ordinary-sized settings at locales in and around New York City (in this case, Coenties Slip is "a historic pedestrian walkway in Lower Manhattan"). The postcards were advertisements for the various types of motorcycle and bicycle brakes that the company manufactured. For the message on the back of this postcard, see Miss Clara Wagner with Her Motorcycle at Coenties Slip, New York (Back) . For a similar postcard advertisement, see J. C. Ferguson Using a Morrow Coaster Brake at the Hotel Astor, New York .

The back of an advertising postcard postmarked April 22, 1911, Elmira, N.Y. Printed by Blanchard Press, New York. Message (a printed reproduction of a handwritten note): Dear Boys: Miss Clara Wagner, the most successful and experienced lady motorcyclist, always uses the Eclipse Coaster Brake. Miss Wagner states that "The perfect security I felt in my brake equipment contributed largely to the pleasure." As she had numerous occasions to test it, and it was not found wanting. That's good evidence. Eclipse Machine Co. -------- For the front of the postcard, see Miss Clara Wagner with Her Motorcycle at Coenties Slip, New York . For a similar postcard advertisement, see J. C. Ferguson Using a Morrow Coaster Brake at the Hotel Astor, New York .

"Richland and Newmanstown Joint Sunday Schools' excursion to Hershey Park, Saturday, July 7, 1917. Richland, Pa., adult's ticket, 65 cts. Special train leaves Sheridan at 8:00 a.m., Richland at 8:05. Returning, leave Hershey 8:15 p.m."

"Compliments of New York One-Price Clothing Co., Westfield, Mass."

See also Good for a Ride Only on Ridge Avenue Railway :

"Good for a ride only on Ridge Avenue R.W. Good for a ride over Penn'a R.R. from Ridge Avenue to Centennial Station." See also Good for a Ride on Ridge Avenue Railway :

Harrisburg Railways Company , Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, issued this ticket for a fare on a streetcar (or possibly a bus). Harrisburg Railways Company One Eight Cent Fare Good On All Lines 035875

"Canandaigua, Elmira, and N.Y.& E. Rail Road. From Jefferson to Howard, Oct. 25, 1853. Good this trip only. No. 962. P. Donnelly."

"Pennsylvania Railroad Co. This monthly school ticket entitles Austin McD. Collier to forty-six rides between Haverford College and Philadelphia during the month of Feb. 1892. Subject to the conditions on back which must be signed before using. J. R. Wood, general passenger agent. No. 314."

"Pennsylvania Rail Road, Lancaster Division, 1882. Pass ________. To Hess & Flinn's Station, the cheapest furniture and upholstery house in the city. No. 148-150 North Queen St., Lancaster, Pa. Hess & Flinn." This advertising trade card is a clever parody of a railroad pass (for examples of the real thing, see below for Pennsylvania Railroad Company Pass, 1908 and Pennsylvania Railroad Company Pass, 1909 ). Instead of authorizing travel over a railroad line, however, it invited potential customers to visit Hess & Flinn's furniture store in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, during the year 1882. For another Hess & Flinn trade card, see Hess and Flinn, Dealers in All Kinds of Household Furniture, Lancaster, Pa. (below).

See also the back of this pass (below). "New Jersey Steamboat Company. 1870 Season. People's Line. Not transferable. New York, April 5, 1870. Pass [W. J. Pierrepout & J. Bredt?]. Rome, Watertown, and Ogdensburgh R.R. Subject to the conditions on the back hereof. No. Rgd. Jno. C. Hewitt, G.T.A." John C. Hewitt was a general ticket agent for People's Line Steamers.

See also the front of this pass (below). "I hereby accept this free ticket, and assume all risks of accidents, losses and injuries, both to person and property, on the route of this Company, while using it whether occasioned by negligence of its agents or otherwise." "This ticket is invalid unless signed by the individual named thereon, and, if presented by any other person, is to be taken up by the Clerk."

"Railroad Hotel, corner River and Front Sts., opposite steam boat landing and R.R. depots, Cleveland, Ohio. Geo. Thompson, proprietor. Meals, twenty-five cents. Passengers and baggage conveyed to and from the house, free."

For this cabinet card back, see the full backmark illustration and a detail showing the street scene in front of the photographer's gallery (above). -------- Although the photographer's name and address appears as "Schlickeisen, 343 Central Avenue, Jersey City, N.J.," on the front of this cabinet card, the name on the sign in the illustration on the back is spelled as "Schlickeysen" (ending in -keysen instead of -keisen). In addition, the arrangement of the street number--"343"--in the palette shapes on either side of the Art Gallery sign is curious, ending with a smaller superscript "3" that seemingly was added after the fact. Interestingly, Langdon's List of 19th & Early 20th Century Photographers provides some relevant information regarding Gustav Schlickeysen/Schlickeisen. According to Langdon, "Schlickeysen" was the spelling listed in city directories for 1888 and 1889, but during those years the photographer's address was 34 Hancock Avenue, Hoboken, New Jersey, rather than 343 Central Avenue, Jersey City, N.J. Directories for 1891, 1892, and 1893, however, indicate that "Schlickeisen" had already moved to the Central Avenue address in Hoboken. It's not clear why the spelling of Schlickeysen changed to Schlickeisen when the photographer moved from Hoboken to Jersey City. Although the new spelling appeared on the front of this cabinet card, the sign in the artwork on the back retained the old spelling. The street number, however, was updated by squeezing an extra "3" into the palette shapes to indicate the change from "34" (Hancock Avenue, Hoboken) to "343" (Central Avenue, Jersey City). If the illustration depicts the original gallery in Hoboken, however, I wonder if customers at Schlickeisen's new gallery in Jersey City were still confused by the drawing despite the updated street number. Finally, it's worth noting that a "Portrait" display case to attract potential customers is situated on the sidewalk in front of the gallery. And notice the horse-drawn tram passing by on the tracks in front of the gallery--an indication of how easy it would be to travel to the gallery.

A souvenir real photo postcard showing a group of riders on the inclined plane railway located on Mount Manitou in Colorado. The camera was tilted at an angle when this photo was taken, which made the slope seem steeper than it really was. To get an idea of the actual steepness of the slope, see the rotated version (below). -------- Printed on the back: "Mt. Manitou Park, Manitou, Colo. A thousand acre park on top of Mt. Manitou, 9,500 feet above sea level. Ten thousand square miles of scenery within the range of vision. Ten miles of trails through the parks and leading to points of interest. A trip up Mt. Manitou Scenic Incline--the longest, highest, and greatest railway of its kind in the world. A rise of one-half mile elevation in a ride of one and one-quarter miles."

A souvenir real photo postcard showing a group of riders on the inclined plane railway located on Mount Manitou in Colorado. This rotated version of the postcard gives an idea of the actual steepness of the slope. Since the camera was tilted at an angle when the photo was taken, the original photo (see below) made the slope seem steeper than it really was.

"This beats walking. Monongahela Incline, Pittsburgh, Pa."