The Globe Lawn Mower

"The Globe Lawn Mower. The Henderson-Achert Co. Litho. Cin."

This is a good illustration of Dave Cheadle's observation regarding lawn mower trade cards: "To demonstrate the ease of operation, the mower is invariably shown being pushed by a remarkably overdressed girl, boy, or young woman." For additional information, see the "Lawn Mowers and Landscaping" section in Cheadle's Victorian Trade Cards: Historical Reference and Value Guide (Paducah, Ky.: Collector Books, 1996), pp. 150-51.

Richard D. Sheaff features his own copy of this Globe Lawn Mower trade card in the Gaslight Album section of his dazzling and inspiring Sheaff : ephemera site. As Sheaff explains, lithographers used Gaslight Style to create the illusion of depth: "Type, vignettes, products, and design elements are made to seem multi-layered through the use of shadows, superimposition, dimensional banners and ribbons, turned-up faux page corners, and choice of colors."

In this trade card, the shadowing and complexity of the letters in "The Globe," the flowing "Lawn Mower" banner that's superimposed over the G, and the elaborate border at the top all help to create the multi-layered effect that's characteristic of the Gaslight Style. The careful placement of the young woman and her lawn mower in the foreground, the bounding dog in the middle, and the tree in the background also contribute to the feeling of depth.