1881 E.T. BARNUM WIRE AND IRON WORKS TRADE CATALOG, NO.29, DETROIT, MICHIGAN

Description

Offered is an 1881, (16pp. Including paper wrappers) trade catalog of E.T. Barnum’s Wire Goods, Wire and Iron Ware. The company was located in Detroit, Michigan. The catalog features illustrations of a stunning array of Victorian wire and iron items including: plant stands, setees, a gazebo or summer house, a swing set, bank railings, hat brackets, dress forms, ornamental weather vanes, wire banners for street signs, an ornamental cemetery fence, and even an aquarium. But, it should be emphasized that this is not a general goods catalog but one for fancy wire and iron work.
The company was established in 1866 but not incorporated until 1882. In 1884, the Detroit Free Press asserted that Barnum’s is probably the largest wire and iron works in the country:
"The E. T. Barnum Wire and Iron Works, of Detroit, Mich., is one of the foremost and representative manufacturing institutions of the country, and is probably the largest wire and iron works in the world. Their mammoth factory at the corner of Howard street and Wabash avenue, recently completed, is a four-story brick building, 240×350 feet, and contains about 330,000 square feet of floor surface. In this immense factory about 700 hands are employed, the majority of whom are skilled mechanics, while every floor is filled with the most approved power machinery.
The goods manufactured embrace all kinds of iron and wire work; wrought iron fences, all kinds of builders' iron work, bank and office railings and elevator enclosures receiving special attention. Then, among other things, may be mentioned window guards, flower-pot stands, lawn furniture, and crestings, tower ornaments, weather vanes, iron doors and shutters, stable fixtures, iron and brass bedsteads, iron grating and illuminating sidewalk lights, jail work of all kinds, wire signs, window screens, wire netting, housekeepers' wire goods of all kinds and grades of wire cloth for fanning mills, thrashing machines, cotton gins, etc...” REFERENCE: E. T. Barnum Wire & Iron Works at glassian dot org.
This 1881 catalog appears to be a relatively early for the company (No. 29 Special Supplement). The Metropolitan has an 1888 company catalog. We have not done an OCLC search.
Size: 7" X 10.75"
Condition: Light vertical crease at center, some light fraying along rear pages edges, tiny tears at edge of rear wrapper with one larger (approximately 1”) tear, a few light scattered spots on rear wrapper and one small spot on front wrapper in blank area of right margin, else very good.
Follow @ephemera_auctions on Instagram for auction updates.
Returns accepted within 7 days of delivery if item does not match description or expectations.