Object Record
Images
Additional Images [1]
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2024.FIC.010 |
Object Name |
Box |
Title |
Richard A. Donelly Ward Box |
Description |
A cuboid-shaped brown and black box advertises Richard A. Donnelly's store, featuring numerous images of people with oversized heads and large collars. The box's front, right, back, and left sides each display 20 images of older men, divided into five on each side. The men are primarily brown in color, set against a black background, and each image is separated by a brown line with the word "WARDS" written on top. On the front of the box, from left to right, the men appear as follows: a heavyset bald man with a mustache and his eyes closed, a thin man with a long neck and a large pointy nose, a man leaning forward wearing a top hat and pince-nez glasses, the side profile of a man with slicked-back hair, and a man with a neutral expression and curly hair. On the right side, the men include: a man with a pointy goatee and wide-open eyes, the side profile of a man with a large nose wearing a sailor's hat, an extremely heavyset bald man looking up, a heavyset man wearing a top hat, and a man with cross eyes and buck teeth. On the back of the box, the men are: a man with a large nose pointing downwards wearing a bowler hat, a man with a long goatee, monocle, and cowboy hat, a man with a handlebar mustache showing both palms and wearing a top hat, a man with a big grin and a beard wearing a boater hat, and a relatively young-looking man with a lasso. On the left side, the men include: a man with a large forehead, a pointy mustache, and a mean expression, a man with a thin face, long pointy mustache, and buck teeth, a heavyset man with a bushy goatee and long hair, the side profile of a man wearing an officer's hat, and the side profile of a man with a thick mustache and beard. The top of the box features an image of a boy and a bulldog. Both have oversized heads, are wearing collars, and are rendered in brown with a black background. The boy smiles, showing his teeth, and holds the dog's left ear with his right hand. The dog, smoking a cigar, has a medal on its collar inscribed with "HIGHEST A WARD." In the background, there is a black and brown image of a police officer chasing a dog. On the upper right and lower right corners, black inscriptions appear on a brown background. The inscription in the upper right corner reads, "DOGS LOSING COLLARS WILL BE RE-WARD-ED," while the lower right corner reads, "NOTICE: ALL LICENSED DOGS MUST HAVE A COLLAR PER ORDER WARD AND CITY COMMITTEE." The top of the box features a removable lid that reveals the inside, which is light brown with a red rim. The bottom of the box is a lighter shade of brown with a large black circular sticker. The sticker bears the inscription, "PRICES!! RICHARD A. DONNELLY. DEALER IN Men's Furnishings. LADIES' and CHILDREN'S HOISERY, GLOVES. TAYLOR OPERA HOUSE. Trenton, N.J." A portion of the text is faded and illegible. Inside the box are two pieces of paper. The first is a black and white image of a shirt collar with the words "OAKWO CLOTH FINISH 16" written on it. The second is a newspaper advertisement. At the top of the ad, it reads, "WE CLOSE AT 6 P.M. NOW." Below, there's an image of a black and white collar with the words "E&W LUBECK" beneath it. The text below reads: The New Collar. Lubeck in the E&W brand height only, Price 25c. Tabhurst in the Arrow Brand, 2 heights, Price 2 for 25c. E&W Linen Cuffs, the very best to be had, all the latest at 25c. Ladies' Linen Collars, a large variety and better quality than any other store, 2 for 25c. Signed, "A.W. LEE, Men's Furnisher, 38 E. State St., Trenton, N.J." According to Christopher Loos and Frederick Donnelly Haulenbeek's obituary, the store was first founded by Richard A. Donnelly as a men's clothing retail business. After Frederick W. Donnelly took over, he later passed the business on to his son. Following his son's untimely death in 1932, Frederick W. Donnelly resigned as mayor to run the business himself. The business eventually passed to his grandson, Frederick Donnelly Haulenbeek, who operated it for 34 years, making it the oldest family-operated retail store in Trenton. The business expanded with locations in Ewing, Sea Girt, and Lawrenceville. The logo on the back of the ruler, featuring a boy painting a fence, references the famous scene from Mark Twain's 1876 novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In this scene, Tom Sawyer cleverly uses reverse psychology to get other boys to paint a fence for him. According to Twain, the lesson of the story is, "…in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain." (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Chapter 2) According to Trenton Daily, John Taylor was a prominent politician and businessman in the Trenton area. Born in 1836, Taylor entered the grocery business after his father's death. Over the years, he worked his way up, eventually founding the Taylor Provision Company. Taylor is best known for creating the recipe for what he originally called "Taylor's Prepared Ham." Following the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act, he was required to rename it "Taylor's Pork Roll." To this day, there remains a heated debate in New Jersey over whether the product should be called "Taylor Ham" or "Pork Roll." In addition to his successful business ventures, Taylor was also active in politics, serving on the Trenton City Council and in the New Jersey State Senate as a Republican. Taylor passed away in 1909. Citations: Balyer, S. (n.d.). Frederick William Donnelly (1866-1935) . Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8611593/frederick-william-donnelly Frederick Haulenbeek Obituary (2010) . Legacy.com. The Trenton Times (2010, May 20). https://obits.nj.com/us/obituaries/trenton/name/frederick-haulenbeek-obituary?id=24740656 Loos, Christopher (2024 March) Frederick W. Donnelly Collection, Trentoniana Department, Trenton Free Public Library, 120 Academy St., Trenton, NJ 08608 https://www.trentonlib.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/F.-W.-Donnelly-Papers.pdf Stern, A. (2022, December 1). This Week in history: John Taylor, the father of pork roll. TrentonDaily. https://www.trentondaily.com/this-week-in-history-john-taylor-the-father-of-pork-roll/ Then & Now: South Broad Street. creektocanalcreative. (n.d.). https://www.creektocanalcreative.org/south-broad |
Date |
19th Century (Likely) |
Material |
Wood, Cardboard |
Artist |
Frederick W. Donnelly and Son |
Height (in) |
3.000 |
Length (in) |
4.500 |
Width (in) |
4.500 |
Condition |
Poor |
Condition Notes |
Overall: Tearing, creases, and accretions throughout. The inscription on the bottom is faded. Front: There is tearing throughout/ There are creases all over the center. And finally, there are green accretions all over the top and bottom. Right Side: There is tearing all over. There are creases all over the center. There are green accretions all over the bottom. And finally, there is a black sticker on the bottom near the middle. Back: There are tears all over. There are creases all over the middle. And finally, there are green accretions all over the top and bottom. Left Side: There are tears all over. There are creases all over the middle. And finally, there are green accretions all over the top and bottom. Top: There are large tears around the top and bottom. There are creases all over. And finally, the images are slightly faded. Bottom: There are tears all around the edges. The sticker is tearing slightly at some points. And finally, the inscription is heavily faded. |
Inscription Type |
Inscription |
Inscription Location |
F+R+B+L, T-B, L-R |
Inscription Technique |
Stamped |
Inscription Text |
"WARDS WARDS WARDS WARDS" Line 1 Inscription Stamped Top, Top to Bottom, Right "DOGS LOSING COLLARS" Line 1 "WILL BE RE-WARD-ED" Line 2 "HIGHEST" Line 3 "A" Line 4 "WARD" Line 5 "NOT ICE" Line 6 "ALL LICENSED" Line 7 "DOGS MUST" Line 8 "HAVE" Line 9 "A COLLAR" Line 10 "PER ORDER" Line 11 "WARD AND" Line 12 "CITY COMMITTEE" Line 13 Manufacturer's Mark Stamped Bottom, Top to Bottom, Left to Right "PRICES!!" Line 1 "RICHARD A. DONNELLY" Line 2 DEALER IN" Line 3 "Men's Furnishings" Line 4 "LADIES' AND CHILDREN's" Line 5 "HOISERY, GLOVES," Line 6 "TAYLOR OPERA HOUSE" Line 7 "Trenton, N.J." Line 8 |
People |
Frederick William Donnelly Richard Augustus Donnelly Frederick Donnelly Haulenbeek John Taylor |
Classification |
Business & Commerce Government & Politics |
Subjects |
Books Clothing industry Clothing & dress Politics & government Politicians Political representation Political participation Mayors Voting Theaters Opera houses Operas & operettas Opera singers Woodwork Wood Boxes |
Search Terms |
Frederick William Donnelly Frederick W. Donelly Richard Augustus Donnelly Richard A. Donnelly Frederick Donnelly Haulenbeek Frederick Haulenbeek 19th Century Mayor Quartermaster General Brown Black Frederick W. Donelly and Sons Donnelly Trenton New Jersey N.J. The Boys Store Clothing Men Haberdashery Heads Mustache Beard Goatee Oversized Collars Men Boy Cigar Bulldog Ward Glasses Lid Pince-Nez Hat Bowler Boat Top Cowboy Officer Police Taylor Opera House Hoisery Gloves Taylor Ham Pork Roll John Taylor E&W Lubeck Republican Democrat Mayor Richard A. Donelly Ward Box |
Provenance |
Found in collection |