NORWOOD
GLOBE WERNICKE
Newspaper Drawings
H. C. Yeiser
J. E.
Blaine Factory
W. 8th Street
Factory Carthage Ave. Norwood
President
Secy. & Treas.
Henry C. Yeiser started up a
furniture company called the Globe Files Co. in Norwood in 1882 and began manufacturing
office and filing furniture. At about the same time another furniture company
began in Grand Rapids, Michigan called The Wernicke Co. They developed a
bookcase design that consisted of different sized glass cabinet components. By
stacking the components on top of, and besides each other, you could create
different configurations.
Henry Yeiser became very interested in this concept and bought the
Wernicke Co. factory. He then changed the name to The Globe-Wernicke Co. and, in
December 1892, patented this unique bookcase design. This design became such a
huge success that the Globe-Wernicke Co. expanded to England, France, Canada,
Belgium, and Austria.
The company reached its highest level of popularity by 1912, but by
1920, sales began dropping and Wernicke died. In 1955 when a takeover was
accomplished the workers handed in their notice and the curtain came down on the
Globe-Wernicke Co.
The letter above explains the purpose behind their campaign of marketing book plates seen in the items below. The 2nd item is the cover for the 39 page book mentioned in the letter.
The next three rows show the front and backs of Globe Wernike's advertising postcards. You could get free bookplates. The last two images in the 3rd row are different from the others. They are larger and the layout is different. The top part of the last one has been removed and supposedly sent in. When you mailed in the card you would receive a supply of free book plates as seen in the next row plus several duplicates of each item. As can be seen the bottom half had two bookplates that could be removed and used although they were not as nice as the real thing.
Book Plates
You sent in the postcard below and you would not only receive the book seen above but you would also receive the foldout below showing all the styles of bookcases made by the company (in 1916).
Front & Back of
Foldout Advantages A Globe
Unit
#1151
#1152
#1155
#1156
#11511
#11510
#11522
#11521
#11526
#11534
#11581 #11583
The very rare postcard above is from The George G. Fetter Printing Co. of Louisville, Ky. You pull the string and the folded up advertisement seen in the 2nd image would be pulled out. This company was, as stated in the ad hired to represent The Globe-Wernicke Co. You can also see that this card was mailed to the advertising manager of Globe. I believe this card was sent to Globe to demonstrate to the company what they would be mailing out to prospective customers.
BULLOCK ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING CO.
These are not postcards
Bullock Electric Panorama
Siemens-Allis
(was Bullock Elec.)
KEMPER - THOMAS COMPANY
U. S. PRINTING & PLAYING CARD COMPANIES
Begun in 1867 as the Russell, Morgan & Co. on
2 floors of a building at 20 College St. in Cincinnati, they printed theatrical
and circus posters, placards and labels. By 1872 the company had to find larger
quarters and moved into a new four-story building on Race St. In 1880 the
company decided to begin producing playing cards and added two additional
stories to their building. In 1885 they began producing their most famous brand
"Bicycle". They changed their name to "The United States Printing
Company" in 1891.
The playing card side of the business became so large that the
company separated it into The United States Playing Card Company. They also
moved into a new building in the area of 5th, 6th, Lock & Eggleston that can
be partially seen in the first card above. (you can see more on the Incline
Page). The organization had to move into larger quarters again and, in 1909,
moved to South Norwood at Beech & Robertson Ave. These buildings can be seen
below.
The company moved to Erlanger, Kentucky in 2009.
The U. S. Playing Card Company
WSAI radio was started in this building in 1922 to promote the game of bridge by broadcasting bridge lessons. The station was so powerful it could be heard in New Zealand. The station was sold in 1928 to the Crosley Radio Corporation.
John Omwake
J.D. McCracken
1894 Ad
1905
Ad
1937 Ad
President General Superintendent
United States
Lithograph
Co.
Photograph
Cincinnati Rubber Manufacturing
Co.
Franklin Ave. & B. & O. S. W.
Railroad
The Standard Millwork Company was located at the southwest corner of Ross & Section Avenues. In 1911 it was incorporated into the Norwood Sash & Door Co. It has come to my attention that this company was the supplier for the Sears Home Kits. Between 1908 and 1940, Sears sold about 70,000 kit homes in 48 states through their mail-order Modern Homes program, with 370 designs.
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