A Painted Red Earthenware Jar Marked “Mason & Co. Phil.”

By Justin W. Thomas

In the late 18th and early 19th century, many forms of shoe polish became available in Europe, especially in England, yet then it was rarely referred to as shoe polish or boot polish. Instead, the product was often called blacking, specifically when mixed with lampblack, or referred to as dubbin, a type of prepared grease used for softening or waterproofing leather.

Furthermore, tallow, an animal by-product, was also used to manufacture a simple form of shoe polish. For instance, in Chicago, where 82 percent of the processed meat consumed in the United States during that period was which was available in either small wide-mouthed stone tubs, slabs wrapped in oiled paper or in circular tin-boxes, about three inches in diameter and half or three-quarters of an inch thick. Tinned blacking paste was at this time exclusively for Army use, where some of the tins read, “Yet, as the soldier’s boots or shoes must to some extent emulate the brightness and glitter of the boots of those who pay for battles instead of fighting them, a portable blacking apparatus is provided.”

Here is an advertisement for the James Mason & Company that shows the five-story brick and granite building adorned with a sign reading “Blacking” on its roof at 108, i.e., 138-140 N. Front St. Mason & Co. occupied the building following its completion in 1851 and tenanted the site until 1919. The building, built 1850-51, was demolished in 1973. Image courtesy The Library Company of Philadelphia.

Mason & Company of Philadelphia

James S. Mason (1811-88) was born to James Mason and Alice Heywood in Lancashire, England, in 1811. He came to Philadelphia with his parents around 1830 and founded processed in the stockyards, the city became a major shoe polish producing area.

The 19th century red earthenware jar has painted designs and the base is impressed “Mason & Co. Phil.” There is also a letter “R” impressed on the base. It was recently found in an estate in suburban Philadelphia.

In London, the Warren brothers, Thomas and Jonathan, started to make blacking ca. 1795 to 1798, initially in partnership with each other, and then branching off establishing their own competing companies. Interestingly, Jonathan Warren’s Blacking company is noted as the first employer of the young Charles Dickens (1812-70) at the age of 12 in 1823. The main competitor to the Warren companies in London was the Day & Martin Company established in 1801.

Details of the operation of Day & Martin in 1842 reveal that the blacking they produced was in two forms, bottled liquid and a thick paste

This is the James Mason & Company building as it stood in Philadelphia. It was demolished in 1973. Image courtesy Historic American Buildings Survey. Continued on page 7

James S. Mason & Company about 1832, which was a manufacturer of shoe blacking and ink pigments. His blacking was basically tallow and lamp black.

In 1851, James S. Mason & Company constructed a building at 138/140 Front St. where ultimately 10 million boxes were produced annually to hold tins of blacking. He employed 200 workers. Later, tins of blacking were labeled as Mason Shoe Polish.

In the book, “Philadelphia and Its Manufactures: A

Horst

and horse-drawn sleigh realized $7,000. The star painting, however, was a large 30-by21.75-inch framed autumn auction scene, ca. 1975, which sold to a local collector for $26,500. The original receipt from Brunner to the late dealer Walter Himmelreich to Robert Wiker in 1976 ($1,000) was included. Autumn auction scenes tend to be among the most popular of her works, and few of her paintings were of this size. The current marketplace does not seem to be slowing down for Brunner’s Pennsylvania German “Grandma Moses” style work.

The photos and captions show a small sampling of of the diverse country sale.

The next catalog sale will be in the summer (date to-bedetermined).

To contact Horst Auction Center, call 717-738-3080.

A signed “H. Schildt” Pennsylvania goosewing axe, left handed, ex. Tannehill, sold for $1,350. Henry Schildt worked in Alsace Township, Berks County.

A later era wrought-iron pie lifter/pierced blade spatula, late 19th or early 20th century, stamped “H.H.M.” similiar to earlier and rare Sebastian examples, ex. Tannehill, sold for $100.

A country store tin sheet roasted coffee bin, maroon paint and grey stenciling, some denting, rust, and scratches, realized $250.

A left side iron stove plate from a five-plate stove cast at the Carlisle Furnace (Boiling Springs, Pa.), ca. 1764, with loss and damage, rare, from Tyler collection, sold for $775. The furnace stack still

Madison-Bouckville

Continued from page 1 on-site, giving weather protection for the exhibitors. East Expo is only two booths deep from the street but then is about a quarter-mile long, with several multi-dealer tents. Quaker Acres West reopened last year, adding to their support from the Boyce family’s shop, which will also be open throughout the weekend hosting at least 150 exhibitors and parking in the rear. There are many more shows, but as they are connected, covering them for good picking is easy for the shoppers. Food service is plentiful.

Set-up is Thursday, June 1, for the dealers, with most fields allowing shoppers to enter as the exhibitors unload their vans, trailers, and trucks. Hotels for visitors and dealers are the major chains in Utica and Syracuse as well as several in the nearby college town of Hamilton. Madison-Bouckville is a country crossroads 25 miles south of Syracuse and southwest of Utica.

For details on each show field, visit www.madisonbouckville.com.

Very Large Monday Live Auction

Having sold her beautiful Victorian home located in Ranson, WV, Elizabeth Smith will sell her 40 plus year collection of furniture, antiques and collectibles- moved to the COCHRAN AUCTION COMPLEX, 7704 Mapleville Road, Boonsboro, Wash. Co., MARYLAND on:

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2023 AT 9:00 A.M.

ANTIQUES, PRIMITIVES, GUNS, COLLECTIBLES & OTHER FURNISHINGS

A group of six English Staffordshire child’s mugs, some damage, sold for $240.

Unusual Antique Double Curio Cabinet; Very Ornate Mahogany Sideboard; Several Early Wardrobes; Early Tilt Top Table; Farm Table; Primitive Style Cupboards; Drop Leaf Table & Other Tables; Marble Top Tables; Open Wash Stand; Bombay Chest; Early Chest of Drawers & Other Chests of Drawers-One with Tear Drop Pulls; Early Victorian Sofa & Love Seats; Chairs including: Lady & Gent Victorian Walnut Chairs, Eastlake, Rockers, Wicker, High Chair, Piano Stool & Other Chairs of All Kind; Fl. Mo. Victrola; Various Trunks; Butcher Block Table; (7)Early Wall ClocksVarious Makes; (15)Mantle Clocks; Pictures & Frames of All Kind; Mirrors; Early Butter Churns; (50+) Crocks & Jugs; (20+) Mixing Bowls; Enamelware; Glassware of All Kind; Early Kitchen Utensils; Various Cast Iron including Griswold; Early Snow Birds; Early Tins; Black Memorabilia; (15)Mannequins- Some in Victorian Clothing; Early Hats & Hat Boxes; Some Vintage Clothes; French Horn & Other Musical Instruments; Baskets; Woodenware; Early Banks; Early Log Cabin Doll House; Some Early Toys; Several Nice Broad Axes; Flat Irons; Early Store Scales; Early “The Modern Paper Shoppe Wall Paper Stationery Novelties” Lite Sign; Decorations; Lanterns; Table & Floor Lamps of Various Styles; 5 Pc. Heavy Patio Set; Large Selection of Books; (2)Black Smith Vises- One Very Large; Approximately (500+) Box Lots; And Hundreds of Other Items Not Mentioned!

(31) GUNS & BAYONETS including: Harpers Ferry 1847 Rifle; 1900 German Mauser Bolt Action Military Rifle; World War

I Bolt Action Rifle w/Bayonet & Sling; Steyr Mo. 95 Military Bolt Action M1.95 Rifle w/Sling & Bayonets; 1941 Military Bolt Action Rifle; Percussion Rifle; Winchester 72 .22 Bolt Action Rifle; Mossberg 702 Plinkster .22 Semi Auto. Rifle; West Point 701 .22 Semi Auto. Rifle; .22 Semi Auto. Rifle; Cut Down Military Bolt Action Rifle w/Scope & Sling; Rickard 12 Ga. Double Barrel Rabbit Ear Shotgun; Palmetto Mo. 11 12 Ga. Single Barrel Shotgun; Single Barrel 12 Ga. Shotgun; Brevettata Mo. 99X .22 Revolver; H&R 328 .22

Side Kick Revolver; Harrington & Allen Dictator Revolver; Other Various Revolvers; Early Antique Percussion

Double Barrel Pistol; Early Antique Percussion Single Barrel Pistol; Early Flintlock Pistol; Plus (10) Other Guns Just Found; (5) Bayonets. IMPOSSIBLE TO LIST!

AUCTIONEER’S NOTE: Very large auction with something for everyone! Plan to attend!

AUCTIONEER: James G. Cochran, Jamie V. Cochran CLERK: Everett & Everett

TERMS: 10% Buyers Premium, 6% MD sales Tax, 5% Credit/Debit Administration Fee, Cash or approved check with positive identification. Not responsible for accidents. Check out Our Website CochranAuctions.com for more Details, Listing & Photos

Mason & Co. Phil.

Hand-Book of the Great Manufactories and Representative Mercantile Houses of Philadelphia, in 1867,” Edwin Troxell Freedley wrote, “Philadelphia has the largest Blacking Manufactory in the United States, and, with one exception, probably the largest in the world. We allude to that of James S. Mason & Co., 138 and 140 North Front street, which was found by the senior partner about 35 years ago. All the operation of manufacturing both Blacking and Ink are conducted here on a vast scale. Nearly two million sheets of tin are consumed in this one establishment, and about ten

Continued from page 5 boot. In the left background, a troop of white Union soldiers marches behind a parade marshal adorned in “M” insignias. The men carry a banner reading, “Mason’s (Original) Challenge Blacking (Philadelphia),” as well as boots, and signs spelling “M-AS-O-N.” In the right background, a crowd of spectators, including figures likely representing Germany, the Ottoman Empire, Britain, and possibly France, stand and watch the competition attentively. The scene also includes boxes of Mason’s Challenge Blacking.

Following the death of Mason in 1888, his son Richard assumed control of the

This

St. Louis Exposition. And even though the shapes and design are more sophisticated, this type of painted terracotta ware was made at Galloway and Graff in 1881, such as some objects that are displayed in the Cincinnati Museum of Art in Ohio.

Even more so, if this pot was not produced by Galloway, then I suspect it was made by another local manufacturer and, either way, likely represents two different successful businesses working in the Philadelphia area in the 19th century.

Sources

WEHRLY’S AUCTION SERVICE, INC. 717-235-4146

Lic. #AY002060 - AU001868L

DEAN R. ARNER AUCTIONEER, LLC business, which ceased operation in 1919, and the building was razed in 1973.

Among the interesting artifacts that survive from Mason & Company today is a small 19th century red earthenware or terracotta jar. The jar may have been a commemorative object used for advertising, although it may have also held a product that the company manufactured and sold.

Freedley, Edwin T. “Philadelphia and Its Manufactures: A Hand-Book of the Great Manufactories and Representative Mercantile Houses of Philadelphia, in 1867,” Philadelphia: Edward Young & Co., 1867.

Thomas, Justin W. “The Galloway Terra-Cotta Company Of Philadelphia: A Brief History And Examination,” Antiques & Auction News, Feb. 3, 2023.

Memorial Day Public Auction

MONDAY, MAY 29, 2023

AT 9:00 A.M.

2409 Route 737, KEMPTON, PA 19529 million boxes for Blacking are manufactured annually. Two hundred hands are employed in the various departments.

Outstanding on-site auction not to be missed!

Early toys in original boxes, firearms, advertising, antiques & collectibles, primitives, jewelry, early Christmas items, textiles, old paper, tools and much more!

“Mason’s Blacking” is now a standard article of commerce.”

Mason & Company also heavily advertised itself in the 1800s, whereas some advertisements depicted shoe blacking competition between two African-American shoe shiners. In this case, the men are portrayed in caricature, holding a brush, a canister of Mason’s Blacking and a boot, while they dance on a table. An AfricanAmerican man fiddler sits on a stool and plays. In the foreground, a white man holds an oversized boot; a white shoeshine boy, his pack on his back, stands behind an older man holding his arm as he points at his reflection in the

This jar was recently discovered in the suburban Philadelphia area, and it is painted with ancient style design, a type of production that was popular with some American potters after 1870, such as a small group that operated in and the around the Boston area. The base of the jar is impressed “Mason & Co. Phil.” There is also a letter “R” impressed on the base.

The manufacturer of this pot is not identified, but it may have been produced nearby at a company such as Galloway and Graff (later the Galloway Terra-Cotta Company) in Philadelphia. Not a lot is known about this company’s early production from about 1810, but the company is known in the later years of the 1800s, when Galloway won awards at the Philadelphia Exposition in 1876, the Chicago Exposition and the

Freeman’s

Continued from page 2 history and artistic traditions. This is amply reflected in their personal collection, which offers a window into this history, as well as the artistic luminaries who have settled in and taken inspiration from the area.

For more information, visit www.freemansauction.com.

AY-002077L 570-386-3389

Check full listing and photos at www.deanarnerauctions.com

P A

FINE SELECTION OF QUALITY MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNISHINGS; INCLUDING DINING ROOM SUITES, LIVING ROOM SUITE, TABLES, CHAIRS AND OTHER ACCESSORIES, COMPLETE METAL KITCHEN

An ques: Rare Lancaster Co. 18th century walnut Schrank, red painted Windsor se ee, bucket bench, red painted cupboard, rare Conestoga News Service hand delivery wagon, painted feed chest, rare an que wooden dugout canoe, galvanized barn cupolas, rare industrial enameled sink trough, stoneware, step back cupboards, painted horse drawn wagon, unusual wooden period folding tables, adver sing ns, pantry boxes, quilts, great pair of vintage child’s metal gliding chairs, painted trade sign, John Shelley Windsor rocking chair

Cut Sandstone Ar facts: Approx. 75 pieces, 7 small mill stones, steps, walkway stones, landings etc. Wedding Venue supplies: 100 Bamboo side chairs, oak captain’s chairs, circular tables, 2 bay stainless sink, 3 stainless prep tables.

Eclec c wares: Unusual Model T yellow painted cab, leather sofas, period style ligh ng, Jerry Mar n table lamps, artwork, selec on of horse-riding helmets

Oriental rugs: Nice selec on of period room size and area oriental rugs.

Garden & outdoor items: 2 great Stock Yards C.I. water troughs, garden benches, split rail fencing, vintage Solara chairs, garden shed, wooden whiskey barrels, wash tubs on stands, outdoor propane pa o heaters, collec on of sprinkling cans, great Saxon & Wakefield teak wood pa o set, painted wooden wheelbarrow, vintage window sashes

Online Bidding with Live Auc oneers

S . M 20 • 9 I -P O 3461 Echo Valley Rd. Manheim, PA 17545 BP: