Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2024.FIC.009 |
Object Name |
Ruler |
Title |
Frederick W. Donnelly and Son Ruler |
Description |
This brown, rectangular ruler is a promotional item for Frederick W. Donnelly and Son's store in Trenton. The ruler measures up to 12 inches and features black inscriptions on both the front and back. The front inscription reads, "Frederick W. Donnelly And Son. THE BOYS STORE. 32 East State St. Trenton, N.J." The back inscription is divided into two sections. The first section reads, "YOUTH'S SHIRTS, JUNIOR SHIRTS. BUTTON-ON WAISTS, BLOUSES." The second section reads, "WASH SUITS, WOOL SUITS, ENGLISH SHORTS, COAT SUITS." In between these sections is a black and white logo featuring a boy painting a fence. The logo includes the inscription, "TOM SAWYER. WASHWEAR For Real Boys." The words "TOM SAWYER" are brown and appear above the fence, with the "R" in "SAWYER" depicted as being painted by the boy. Below the fence, the phrase "WASHWEAR For Real Boys" is written in black. According to Findagrave.com and Christopher Loos from the Trenton Free Public Library, Frederick W. Donnelly served as mayor of Trenton from 1911 to 1932. Born in 1866, Donnelly's father, Richard A. Donnelly, also served as mayor of Trenton from 1884 to 1886 and was Quartermaster General of New Jersey. Frederick W. Donnelly became the first executive under the Walsh Act of 1911, where the mayor's position was largely ceremonial. During his time as mayor, he navigated the city through numerous crises, including the 1916 polio epidemic, World War I, the influenza pandemic, and the early years of the Great Depression. He is credited with developing new roads, the Trenton Municipal Colony (an infectious disease hospital), and the Port of Trenton (now Marine Terminal Park). For his efforts in developing New Jersey's waterways, including an unsuccessful attempt to build a canal from Trenton to Raritan Bay, The New York Times dubbed him "the Father of New Jersey Waterways." In 1924, he ran for the U.S. Senate but was unsuccessful. After the sudden death of his son in 1932, Donnelly resigned as mayor to focus on the family business. He passed away in 1935. 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) 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 Twain, M. (1876). Chapter 2. In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. essay. Retrieved June 26, 2024, from https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/mark-twain/tom-sawyer. |
Date |
20th Century (Likely) |
Material |
Wood |
Artist |
Frederick W. Donnelly And Son |
Height (in) |
2.000 |
Length (in) |
12.000 |
Condition |
Okay |
Condition Notes |
Overall: Accretions and discolorations throughout. Front: There are small dark brown discolorations throughout. There are white accretions all over the left side. The "J." in "N.J." is faded away. A piece of the ruler is missing in the top right corner. There are green accretions all over the center. And finally, there are pencil marks all over. Back: There are red accretions all over the bottom. There is a black discoloration on the bottom near the right side. There is a black accretion on top near the left side. There is a green accretion on top near the right side. The "S" in "WASH SUITS" is faded. And finally, there are white accretions on the left side of the Tom Sawyer logo. Overall: Accretions and discolorations throughout. Front: There are small dark brown discolorations throughout. There are white accretions all over the left side. The "J." in "N.J." is faded away. There are green accretions all over the center. And finally, there are pencil marks all over. Back: There are red accretions all over the bottom. There is a black discoloration on the bottom near the right side. There is a black accretion on top near the left side. There is a green accretion on top near the right side. The "S" in "WASH SUITS" is faded. And finally, there are white accretions on the left side of the Tom Sawyer logo. |
Inscription Type |
Stamp |
Inscription Location |
Front, Top to Bottom, Left to Right |
Inscription Technique |
Stamped |
Inscription Text |
"Frederick W. Donelly" Line 1 "And Son" Line 2 "THE BOYS STORE" Line 3 "32 East State St." Line 4 "Trenton, N.J." Line 5 Back, Top to Bottom, Left to Right "YOUTHS' SHIRTS" Line 1 "JUNIOR SHIRTS" Line 2 "BUTTON-ON WAISTS" Line 3 "BLOUSES" Line 4 "TOM SAWYER" Line 5 "WASWEAR For Real Boys" Line 6 "WASH SUITS" Line 7 "WOOL SUITS" Line 8 "ENGLISH SHORTS" Line 9 "COAT SUITS" Line 10 |
People |
Frederick William Donnelly Richard Augustus Donnelly Frederick Donnelly Haulenbeek |
Classification |
Business & Commerce Government & Politics |
Subjects |
Wood Rulers Measuring Books Clothing industry Clothing & dress Politics & government Politicians Political representation Political participation Mayors Voting |
Search Terms |
Frederick William Donnelly Frederick W. Donelly Richard Augustus Donnelly Richard A. Donnelly Frederick Donnelly Haulenbeek Frederick Haulenbeek 20th Century Mayor Quartermaster General Brown Black Frederick W. Donelly and Sons Donnelly Trenton New Jersey N.J. The Boys Store Clothing Men Haberdashery Ruler Frederick W. Donnelly and Son Ruler Youths' Shirts Junior Shirts Button-on Waists Blouses Wash Suits Wool Suits English Shorts Coat Suits Tom Sawyer Washwear for Real Boys The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Mark Twain Paint White Wash Reverse Psychology Democrat Ruler |
Provenance |
Found in collection |