Volunteers continue to process our archives, unfolding thousands of documents and placing them in acid-free folders. You can find out more about our archival processing work here and here.
As we have processed these papers, we have made some great discoveries. We have placed particular emphasis on letterheads; Green-Wood undoubtedly has one of the best collections of century-old letterheads anywhere.
I thought I would share some of those we have discovered in our files with you. They were used by lot owners to communicate with the cemetery, sending written requests that a grave be dug, that a funeral be arranged, or that a monument maker be permitted to work in the family lot.
Here are some of the best examples we have found:
Weir was succeeded by Weir-McGovern in the greenhouse at the corner of 25th Street and Fifth Avenue, just across the street from Green-Wood's main entrance. We are about to close the deal on the purchase of that property, including the greenhouse that has been there since 1895.This was quite a find--I knew there were a number of cemetery-related businesses along 25th Street, positioned to attract customers as they headed into Green-Wood. But I had never heard of this business, just half a block down the street from the McGovern florist.And this is where Wollmers Florist was located--on the north side of 25th Street, just up the street from the Dunkin' Donuts.Much fine print here.Quite the letterhead!Mid-twentieth century industry in the heartland.A great letterhead from the company founded by John Matthews, "The Soda Fountain King."
Working color into the graphic design.From Hoboken, New Jersey.
Pianos--one of the great businesses of the 19th century.Photographer Alva Pearsall is interred at Green-Wood.This is an advertizing card, not a letterhead.A great example.
Thanks to Jim Lambert for all of his great work scanning these documents.
Thanks to Jim Lambert for all of his great work scanning these documents.