by Ben Crane

 Burdick's "The American Card Catalog" lists 38 trade cards showing watercolors of American scenes and advertising Clark's O.N.T. Spool Cotton (a term for thread in the 1890s). These cards are shown below at 25 percent of actual size and organized into 8 sets based on their size, shape, printer and reverse. Click on a card for a larger view, and click here for more about the cards.

 

1. Reverse Type 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4  1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.R    2. Reverse Type 2, Buek 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.R    3. Reverse Type 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.R     4. Reverse Type 4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.R             5. Reverse Type 5, Armstrong 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4      6. Reverse Type 6, Forbes 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.R      7. Reverse Type 7 7.1 7.2 7.3     7.4 7.R       8. Reverse Type 8, Buek 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.R

The watercolors appear to have been done by at least 3 different artists, two of whom signed their work. The name of Fred. S. Cozzens (1846-1928), a New York illustrator noted for marine scenes, appears on cards 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 along with either a '90 or '91 date. The name of Louis K. Harlow, a Maine landscape artist, appears on cards 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6 and 4.7.

Judging by the style of the unsigned cards, it appears probable that Cozzens also painted the scenes in sets 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8, and that Harlow painted the scene in card 4.8. The style of the scenes in set 6 seems different than either of these two artists.

Sets 2 and 8 were printed by G. H. Buek & Co., NY; set 5 was printed by Armstrong Lith. Co., Boston; and set 6 was printed by Forbes Co., Boston. No printer's name appears on the other sets.

These oversize cards were printed on a heavier, pebbled surface stock, and are beautiful renderings of scenes and structures that have either disappeared or changed markedly in the past hundred years.

The cards in sets 1 through 6 are 7-3/8" x 5" and their larger views are shown at 80 percent of actual size. The cards in set 7 are 6" x 6" and their larger views are shown at 70 percent of actual size. The cards in set 8 are 3-3/4" x 4-1/4" and their larger views are shown at actual size.

This listing is thought to be complete, and all cards shown are in the author's collection.