Original circa 1900 embossed chromolithograph die-cut advertising giveaway for Smith & Lock, Dealers in Fancy Groceries, Fruits and Vegetables, Phones 77 and 78, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
The artwork shows two Victorian children with a cat, birdcage, doghouse, and dog among chrysanthemums, printed in rich chromolithograph color with deep embossing (typical of German-printed trade cards of the era). These large die-cut store giveaways were the premium advertising of their day and are highly collectible, especially with a specific Wisconsin merchant imprint.
Condition, please read carefully: this is a 125-year-old paper piece and it shows its age. There is edge chipping with some paper loss at the top edge, light creasing, overall toning and soiling, and a small pinhole on the back. The back is the plain brown board with the embossed image showing through; no printer imprint is visible. The printed image itself remains bright and attractive. See all photos.
Approximate size is a large-format die cut (roughly 12 to 16 inches tall); exact measurements were not taken.
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