1884-1895 David Bradley Mfg Co Chicago IL Square Corner Plows Trade Card For Sale

Size:3" x 5"

Original late 19th-century chromolithographic advertising trade card forDavid Bradley Manufacturing Companyof Chicago, Illinois. The front advertises the company's"Square Corner"Sulky and Walking Plows along withGarden City Clipper Plows,DuplexAdjustable Expansion Arch Wheel Cultivators,MagicCultivators, Riding Cultivators, Sulky Hay Rakes, and other agricultural implements.

The reverse features a Victorian interior scene with a"Square Corner / David Bradley Mfg. Co."advertising sign. The printed sign appears to overlap one figure's hand, suggesting the company advertisingmay have been overprinted onto a stock lithographed design, a common practice for nineteenth-century advertising trade cards. This observation is based on the visible printing and is offered as an informed opinion rather than a documented fact.

• David Bradley Manufacturing Company
  
• Chicago, Illinois
• Approximate date:1884–1895
• Measures approximately3" x 5"
• Color chromolithograph
• Agricultural implement advertising
• Lists company branch houses in:
  • St. Louis, Missouri
  • Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Council Bluffs, Iowa
  • Kansas City, Missouri
  • Indianapolis, Products
    • "Square Corner" Sulky and Walking Plows
    • Garden City Clipper Plows
    • Duplex Adjustable Expansion Arch Wheel Cultivators
    • Magic Cultivators
    • Combined and Riding Cultivators
    • Sulky Hay Rakes
    • Other agricultural implements
    
    Condition
    • Original antique trade card.
    • Small tear at the bottom right corner.
    • Please examine all photographs carefully, as they are part of the description and best represent the condition.
    
    Historical Background

    The front identifies the company as"Successors to Furst & Bradley Mfg. Co."Historical records document that the company adopted theDavid Bradley Manufacturing Companyname in1884after David Bradley acquired Conrad Furst's interest in the business. Manufacturing remained inChicago, Illinoisuntil operations moved to North Kankakee (later Bradley, Illinois) in1895. The wording on this card is consistent with that documented period, making an approximate date of1884–1895well supported.

    
    Research References

    The historical information in this listing is based on published sources, including:

    • Chicagology– History of David Bradley Manufacturing Company, including its origins as Furst & Bradley, Chicago factory, and relocation to North Kankakee (Bradley), Illinois.
    • Brick Store Museum / Bradley historical publications– Documentation of the 1884 transition from Furst & Bradley Manufacturing Company to David Bradley Manufacturing Company.
    • Surviving David Bradley agricultural implement catalogs– Confirming the advertised product names includingSquare Corner,Garden City Clipper,Duplex, andMagic.
    • Nineteenth-century legal and business records– Confirming the company's network of branch houses listed on the card.