A winding road

A winding road leads us down to the shore of a peaceful lake.

Such a dreamy vision from a company that wants you to "wake up and smell the coffee!"

My advice?

Daydream all you please. Wake up later.

The lithographer may have been experimenting with calligraphy on the back of this card.

Color: the principle attraction

Color was the principle attraction of Victorian advertising trade cards. Magazines and newspapers of the time were black & white. This Lion Coffee card had color for sure and it was embossed, too!

As can be seen by the creases on the back, this card was embossed so that the design on the front of the card stood out in relief. For instance, the model's elbow can be viewed on this side of the card just above the "T" of Toledo.

Enticing winter landscapes

Enticing winter landscapes appeared on many Lion Coffee cards. Almost makes one long for the winter season's return, doesn't it!

There are beautiful aspects to all seasons. Hope you can enjoy them all and, if you're somewhere in the world that does not have "seasons," here's your chance to appreciate them!

This lion's inscrutable expression makes it the "Mona Lisa" of lions.

The calligraphy on the back of this card sets a standard for Woolson Spice's Victorian rivals to match! Lion Coffee cards became known for the beauty on both sides of their cards.

#ArnoldsLions
#bestarnoldcards

Embossing + Calligraphy = flashy Victorian trade card

Rose child

Embossing made some Lion Coffee cards special. Adding interest, the fancy calligraphy on the backs of their colorful cards became legendary.



The Graphic Designer's Guide to Embossing is an excellent introduction to the craft, which is also discussed on Wikipedia.

  The Paper has crafting tips and directions for your hand embossing activities with some handy references.

 

Triple play

Rosy Landscape

Triple play: Beautiful landscape, bird and flower. What more could one ask?

Back of card above was plain by Woolson Spice calligraphic standards.

This Victorian advertising trade card was given away with packages of Woolson Spice Company's Lion Coffee. Such advertising techniques were common in the late 19th century and have been used since then to sell cereals and other merchandise. In the 21st century, these cards, trinkets, etc. are sometimes known as "swag" and are a popular component of advertising campaigns.

Wikipedia says:

"The first known promotional products in the United States were commemorative buttons dating back to the election of George Washington in 1789. During the early 19th century, there were some advertising calendars, rulers, and wooden specialties, but there was no organized industry for the creation and distribution of promotional items until later in the 19th century."

 

Colorful & Elegant Christmas card

Colorful & elegant, this Lion Coffee card is a cool reminder of a season's virtues while the back of the card presents a rare frontal view of the Woolson Spice Lion.

While most toys these days are plastic and mass-produced, the toy in this image was probably wood and hand-made.





For additional information, the Arnold Collection recommends

  "All About Victorian Toys" by the Chertsey Museum Education Service of the Runnymede Borough Museum. This is a British PDF document with values quoted on pounds.

A Google image search reveals a number of Victorian wooden horse & cart toys similar to the one portrayed in the Lion card above:

 

Temptation on a hot day

It's summer! Swallows(?) congregate around a shallow water hole. Fortunately, all the Lions are on the other side. But they're watching! (scroll down)

These images are free to print & share as you please. Please credit the Arnold Collection. Thanks!



And on the other side, this sneaky lion appears to be watching ... You!

The Ravages of Time

The "Ravages of time" have done their best to obscure the beauty of this landscape, but haven't quite succeeded. Adding a 3-dimensional aspect to the work is the rock formation in the foreground.

Lion Keepers

A mother and her child explore the lake shore as Fall's last leaves hang on after the first snow of the season coats the landscape.
 
"Meet" the people responsible for publishing these cards! Their names are on the back of this beautiful landscape. Our "Lion keepers"....

Managing Officers of the Woolson Spice Co at this time were:

Alvin M. Woolson, General Manager

William A. Brigham, Assistant Manager

Philip S. Willis, Superintendent

Just us Robins!

Just us Robins! No lion adorned the back of this older Lion Coffee card from the Woolson Spice Co.

Without the Lion, the fancy calligraphy still stands out.

Your rabbit is here!

Your rabbit is here!

 Shall we swap?

Sibling negotiations proceed....

 

I see you!