Soap

Historical Context

Named for the newest wonder. In the 1880s electric light was the marvel of the age, and advertisers borrowed the word "electric" to sell soap, among much else. Dobbins' Electric Soap of Philadelphia was another.

An Indianapolis soap maker. This card comes from a smaller Midwestern maker, the Electric Soap M'f'g Co. of Indianapolis, and its promise, "No rubbing required," spoke straight to the hours of scrubbing on washday.

Victorian girlhood. Little girls with cakes and flowers were a favorite subject on cards that were handed to mothers at the store counter.

Condition

Very good. Bright colors; corners lightly worn. Faint pale lines run vertically and horizontally through the right half of the front, from a light crease or old mounting. A small dark spot above the lettering and a tiny ink fleck near the top. The blank reverse is clean apart from a faint mirror-image offset of printing at the left, scattered tiny red flecks and a small scuff at the lower right corner. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The soap maker's imprint is printed in black, and the reverse is blank.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Electric-Light Soap cards in our store: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl?_nkw=electric+soap

More Victorian advertising trade cards for soap, laundry and household products are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Kendall was already sixty years old when this card was printed, and the reverse says so. In an era when anyone could put a name on a box, “Established 1827” was doing real work — it meant somebody had been answering for the product for three generations.

The front makes no argument at all. There is no soap in the picture, no kitchen, no washing. Just a portrait good enough to want on the wall, with the name underneath. The company was buying a place in the house rather than a place in the argument.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. A crease to one corner; staining and pale patches to the reverse; light surface soiling; minor edge and corner wear. The chromolithographed portrait on the front remains bright with strong color. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

This item comes from the personal collections of my family estate, accumulated over more than 200 years — including items that came west by wagon train to Colorado and later to Oklahoma. Now that my parents have passed we cannot keep all of these cherished items. They were well-educated antiques collectors/traders and continued to build their collections over more than 60 years. The vast majority of the pieces are from the Victorian Era, however there are plenty of older and newer items. Everything has been stored in a climate-controlled environment over time.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

Calling a soap “Electric-Light” in the 1880s was like calling a product “smart” today. Electric light was the newest and most astonishing thing a town could have, and very few homes did. The name borrowed the excitement without having anything to do with electricity at all.

“No rubbing required” was the real promise. Laundry was hard physical work, and a soap that claimed to take the scrubbing out of it was offering an afternoon back.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. A narrow toned band along the top edge of the front; faint show-through of the front text on the blank reverse; minor edge and corner wear. Colors remain strong. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

This item comes from the personal collections of my family estate, accumulated over more than 200 years — including items that came west by wagon train to Colorado and later to Oklahoma. Now that my parents have passed we cannot keep all of these cherished items. They were well-educated antiques collectors/traders and continued to build their collections over more than 60 years. The vast majority of the pieces are from the Victorian Era, however there are plenty of older and newer items. Everything has been stored in a climate-controlled environment over time.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.