An Advertisement for Tools

This image was scanned from an advertising cover mailed in 1898. The cover contains many other illustrations, but this particular item intrigued me. The company is offering a toolkit that seems to have everything.

"The Combination Family Cobbler, Tinker and Harness Mender" is ready to help anyone repair many important items around the house or farm. I expect that people living on farms in the 1890's had to perform all of their own repairs, as it was usually a very long and slow ride to town. I do know that the situation is still pretty true today in rural areas, where self-sufficiency is often both a necessity, as well as a source of personal pride.

If you wish, you can load the picture separately [70k GIF].

Copyright©1999-2001 Robert Swanson

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