General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

Black printed text and graphics appear on buff-colour background on smooth stone faces; stone [possibly limestone] is light grey in colour- rough texture is visible on short side surfaces.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

30.5 cm

Width

25.8 cm

Height

6.1 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Printing

Category

Printed specimens

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

STONE

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Toronto

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

Many of the plates, proofs, labels and posters were produced for Canada's growing number of manufacturers in everything from farm implements to preserved food, pharmaceuticals and musical instruments. Some of these, like Massey Harris, were once giants. Others may have left no other traces than the plate and proof for a cheque, receipt or letterhead. The artifacts and print specimens represent the output of one of the fastest growing industries in this period: printing and graphic arts. Not only was printing growing rapidly as a sector, it was also subdividing into specialized segments. The engraving and lithography trades, whose processes excelled at reproducing creative imagery, colour, and decorative calligraphy, commanded the market for stationery, packaging, posters, promotional calendars and catalogue covers. The collection attests to the emergence of a new market, consumer goods, and a new industry, advertising. During this period, the role of the household as a centre of production was steadily weakened as its members became implicated in the labour market. As members became increasingly dependent on cash employment, household needs like clothing and food had to be met by purchasing goods. At the same time manufacturers, pressed by competition, continually sought both to expand their markets and reduce their costs through mass production. National markets for consumer goods thus emerged. The printing and publishing industry played a key role in this process through advertising and packaging. This stone carried images and/or text for a variety of Canadian businesses including Bain Wagon Co. Ltd., Woodstock, Ont., H. Corby, Distiller, Belleville, Ont., Q. Massicote & Côté Real Estate/Immeubles, Montreal, PQ and Rolland Paper Co. Ltd., Montreal, PQ.

Function

Used in off-set printing to carry the image to be printed.

Technical

An example of an engraved stone used as an original in printing. Because transfers could be cheaply made from the original engraved stone, lithography was the preferred process for printing large numbers of a given form or format, for many years. From Acquisition Proposal:These are stones used in the production of labels, packages, certificates, cheques, etc. We selected them either because they bore labels or label details or because their contents were relevant to the Printing, Agriculture, or other collection subject areas. [Ref. 1]

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

One side of printing face reads "BAIN WAGON/ COMPANY/ LIMITED/ WOODSTOCK/ ONTARIO", "CORBY'S/ CANADIAN/ WHISKEY BLANC/ DISTILLED & BOTTLED IN BOND BY/ H. CORBY, DISTILLER./ BELLEVILLE, CANADA.", "UNION ASSURANCE SOCIETY, LIMITED/ CANADA BRANCH OFFICE [overstruck]/ AND/ COR. ST. JAMES AND McGILL STREETS/ MONTREAL [overstruck]/ CANADA BRANCH OFFICE, MONTREAL/ UNION ASSURANCE SOCIETY LIMITED/ UNION ASSURANCE SOCIETY./ MERGED IN THE/ COMMERCIAL UNION ASSURANCE COMPANY, LIMITED,/ NORTH WEST BRANCH/ WINNIPEG./ DEPOSITS WITH CANADIAN GOVERNMENT $1,107,640/ FUNDS EXCEED $86.250,000.", "UNION/ FIRE", "BRITISH COLUMBIA/ MANITOBA/ NOVA SCOTIA A/ NORTH WEST/ GENERAL B", "OF LONDON, ENGLAND/ CANADA BRANCH/ 260 ST. JAMES ST./ MONTREAL/ NORTH WEST BRANCH/ 364 MAIN ST./ WINNIPEG", "INSURANCE/ SINCE A.D. 1714" and "SUPERIOR/ HOLLAND/ GIN/ J.D.K. & S./ JOHN D. KEISER & SON./ AMSTERDAM." [whole overstruck]. Off-white adhesive backed label applied to this printing face bears hand printed text "325.00". On opposite side of stone: "ALFRED WHITE, President/ ALEX MAC LEAN, Manager & Secretary/ The London & Lancashire/ GUARANTEE AND ACCIDENT COMPANY/ OF CANADA./ TORONTO/ HEAD OFFICE/ THE COMPANY'S BUILDING 61-65 ADELAIDE ST.E.,/ TELEPHONES MAIN 3487/ QUEBEC & MARITIME PROVINCES BRANCH./ COLIN E. SWORD, MANAGER./ TELEPHONE MAIN 3487/ 164 ST. JAMES STREET/ Montreal/ BRITISH COLUMBIA & ALBERTA BRANCH/ WILLIAM THOMPSON, MANAGER/ 312 - 315 WINCH BUILDING/ VANCOUVER, B.C.", "Q. Masicotte & Côté/ REAL ESTATE/ IMMEUBLES/ No. 10 Boulevard St. Laurent/ MONTREAL/ TELEPHONE/ MAIN 4286" and "Due ...../ No. ..../ THE ROLLAND PAPER CO. LIMITED/ Montreal ..../ Pay to the order of ....../ The Bank of Montreal/ .... Dollars/ Value received and charge to account of/ The Rolland Paper Company, Limited/ To .../ .... Vice President/ NO PROTEST". "Stone Limited" and/or "Stone Limited, Toronto" printed on each of three images on this face of stone. "G-STO-57" printed by hand on adhesive backed label applied to stone edge. Other markings present, but illegible.

Missing

Unknown.

Finish

Black printed text and graphics appear on buff-colour background on smooth stone faces; stone [possibly limestone] is light grey in colour- rough texture is visible on short side surfaces.

Decoration

Stylized images of fleur-de-lis, clasped hands, hearts, flowers and decorative scrollwork decorate printing surfaces.