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A Tourist’s Guide Through Albany
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Among the delights and pleasures of the worldwide web, Google Books, and public domain is the ability to discover, dissect, and disseminate tomes from yesteryear that were otherwise moldering in the locked “local history” room of the public library, available only to those willing to submit to the suspicions of the collections librarian and…
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Cluett Pianos
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In 1898, Cluett & Sons was one of the major piano dealers in a town that could fairly have been called “The Piano City.” (Or so I keep trying to convince people.) But in this ad you can see the onward march of technology, as the piano company was also headquarters for “the wonderful…
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William H. Hallenbeck, Popular Milliner
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There just aren’t enough milliners in today’s world. Or at least they don’t go by that name. It specifically referred to one who designed, made or trimmed women’s hats. According to Amasa Parker’s “Landmarks of Albany County,” William Henry Hallenbeck was born in Knox in 1859, and was of an old Albany Dutch family.…
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Librarian Law
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English: New York State Library–Facilities–1880-1900. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) The New York State Legislature is somewhat famous for setting forth laws regarding its own conduct that are sometimes a bit more yielding than laws applied to the rest of the public. But no one is above the law of the librarian. The 1855 “Catalogue of…
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Nailed it!
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Also from the 1898 history of Albany’s Central Federation of Labor, a very useful guide to how many nails one might need for a particular carpentry task. From having done extensive renovations on old houses, I can attest that a pound of nails in a single doorframe wasn’t considered excessive.
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Blackboard Jungle
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The Illustrated History of the Central Federation of Labor of Albany from 1898 is a delightful collection of the informative, historical, and unusual. Not apropos of Albany in any way, but Hoxsie was tickled to find this recipe for creating liquid slating to coat blackboards. Yes, the liquid could be purchased ready for use,…
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H.B. Nims globes
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From 1893, an ad showing the offerings of H.B. Nims & Company, in their 43rd year as globe manufacturers. Nims was the successor company of Merriam, Moore & Company, located in the Cannon Building in Troy.
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A.P.W. Paper Company
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From 1893, an ad from the Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Company, the creators of perforated roll toilet paper. This was an ad to the paper goods trade: “If you want to purchase roll toilet paper at a price that will permit you to sell for what it formerly cost you, you can do…
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