Die Cuts

The center panel from a milk bottle collar that wrapped around the top of a bottle in order to remind customers who received home delivery of milk to return their empty bottles. For more information, see Milk Bottle Collar: Reminder and Order Form .

A milk bottle collar (for wrapping around the top of a bottle) that served both as a humorous reminder to return empty bottles and as an order form to ask the milkman to deliver specific items (back when dairies used to make regular home deliveries). "Help keep down the cost of your milk by returning your empty bottles. Every unreturned bottle adds to the cost of delivering milk to your door. If you have any empties around your kitchen or basement, please return them." "Lady, please send me home. Empty." "Handy Order Blank. Place over return bottle. Please leave: ________. Name: ________. Address: ________." For an enlargement of the middle panel with the cartoonish milk bottle, see Lady, Please Send Me Home!

"Hotel Bristol, das klassische Haus im zentrum Salzburg, Austria." Google's translation: "Hotel Bristol, the classic house in the center of Salzburg, Austria."

"Hotel Moderne, Paris. Les Ateliers D'Art, Paris."

"I shall be candid with you, Valentine. You're so snappy. Hope you develop a liking for me." A mechanical valentine. Moving the boy's head alternately displays "Valentine," "You're so snappy," and a girl's face in the lens of the camera, and the final position also reveals a heart with the message, "Hope you develop a liking for me." I suspect that this card dates to the 1960s, when the television show Candid Camera was at the height of its popularity.

"A back seat driver ain't no fun / But despite her scowls / you're the only one / Be my valentine." A mechanical valentine. The little lever at the back of the car moves mother's head up and down as she scowls away in the back seat.

Hmm, in this day and age I don't think I'd send Johnny and Sally to school with a valentine like this to exchange with classmates!

"The Bailey, Banks & Biddle Co., goldsmiths and silversmiths, Philadelphia. Kindly designate the finger size by number." While this ring-gauge card probably dates to the 1890s, Bailey Banks & Biddle is still in business today with an online presence and a number of retail jewelry stores, including one near Philadelphia at the King of Prussia Mall.

"I'm bugs 'bout skatin' at Skateaway, Scranton, Pennsylvania." A roller skating rink label.

For a similar roller skating label, see America on Wheels by The Pie Shops , over on Flickr.

"Witches Watch - Oct. 31st, '14. 8:00 p.m. - Masks! 2439 No. Eleventh Street. Admission - 25¢. ea. Guess you know who all!" Handwritten note on the back of the invitation: "George: Let me know if you come and how --singles or doubles! Marg. Hunsicker, 2852 N. Orkney St." A hundred-year-old Halloween party invitation! The flustered jack-o'-lanterns appear to be printed die-cut pumpkin shapes, but I'm not certain whether the witch silhouette was cut by hand or from a die. After using Google to search for the addresses (2439 N. Eleventh Street and 2852 N. Orkney Street), I believe that the location is probably Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I was surprised to discover that I couldn't find any precedent for the term "Witches Watch." I assumed that watching for the appearance of witches would be a common activity--and party theme--during the Halloween season, but the only reference to a similarly named event that I was able to locate came from the Spokane Daily Chronicle , Oct. 21, 1937, p. 3: "'Witches' Watch Halloween Ball. Chewelah, Wash., Oct. 21--(Special.)--Witches and pumpkins of paper decorated the Masonic hall Wednesday night when the Eastern Star held its invitational dance. Refreshments were served." Or perhaps I have it all wrong--maybe the witches are the ones who are doing the watching. Or--on a sillier note--could it refer to a timepiece worn by witches? Any other sightings of "Witches Watch" out there?

"Quaker Rolled White Oats. Manufactured by the American Cereal Co. Address: Chicago, Ill., U.S.A. Use only Quaker brand rolled oats. Pure Quaker Oats. 2 pounds. A Family Affair." Five views of a nineteenth-century metamorphic trade card, which--as it's unfolded--changes from a Quaker Oats cereal box to a scene of children eating cereal at the breakfast table (with the Quaker Oats man lurking in the background).

Autumn Sociable. Social Twelve cordially request the pleasure of your company and that of your friend on Saturday evening, Oct. 10th, 1896, at 7:15 o'clock, to join a social party at the residence of Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Ressler at Aberdeen. Committee: Social Twelve. Should the weather prove unfavorable the party will be held the following Saturd'y. Refreshments required.

"Clover Leaf Dairy sends holiday greetings and a toast to good cheer. Your Milkman." A die-cut paper wreath that a milkman could place over a milk bottle as a holiday greeting for his customers. Clover Leaf Dairy was located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

"Compliments of Lancaster Music Co., O. F. Brinkman, manager, pianos and organs, sheet music and musical merchandise, 21 East Orange Street, Lancaster, Pa."

"The Penn Harris, Harrisburg, Pa. Five distinctive restaurants."

"Davidson Modern Movers. Agents: United Van Lines, Inc. Pre-planned moving in sanitized vans. Davidson. Fast motor freight. Proven dependability since 1896. 'Feature' matchbook. Pat. 1,839,845-6. Lion Match Co., Baltimore, Md." A die-cut matchbook cover.

"Basket. Yourself and friend are cordially invited to attend an evening sociable, complimentary to Mr. Clayton W. Souders, on Saturday evening, October 12, '95. Meet at his home, near Maytown, at 7 o'clock. Committee: Mary K. Felker, Lizzie H. Farmer. Should the weather be unfavorable the sociable will be held the following Wednesday evening."