Vintage Erie PA Industrial Postcard Lot Ball Engine Co Shovels Factory Crew For Sale

ITEM DESCRIPTION:Up for sale is a compelling pair of two (2) original antique Real Photo Postcards (RPPCs) capturing the grit and history of early 20th-century industrial labor in Erie, Pennsylvania. This lot offers fantastic crossover appeal for collectors of heavy machinery history, Pennsylvania regional archives, and vintage labor ephemera.LOT INVENTORY & DETAILS:

1. Circa 1915–1920 Ball Engine Co. "Erie Shovels" Factory Crew RPPC
   • Front: A rare, crystal-clear industrial group portrait of a manufacturing shop crew posed on the factory floor. The large, bold corporate signage painted on the wall behind them explicitly reads: "BALL ENGINE CO. ERIE SHOVELS."
   • Historical Significance: This photo captures a landmark moment in American industrial history. Founded in 1883 to build stationary steam engines, the Ball Engine Co. pivoted in 1914 to manufacture rugged mobile steam excavators branded as "Erie Shovels." The line became so successful that the company renamed itself the Erie Steam Shovel Company in 1922, before eventually merging to become the heavy equipment giant Bucyrus-Erie.
   • Back: Clean, unposted divided-back layout struck on Defender Photo Supply Co. DOPS paper (four corner stars, indicating a manufacturing/use window between 1925 and 1942).
2. 1908 Erie, PA Industrial Shop Yard Crew RPPC
   • Front: An authentic outdoor group photograph depicting eleven (11) industrial workers in traditional early 20th-century workwear, including utility shirts, heavy canvas trousers, suspenders, flat caps, and service caps. They are posed outside a factory fence with a warehouse roof visible in the background.
   • Back: Divided-back layout cleanly postmarked Erie, PA - Sep 9, 1908 featuring a classic straight-line automated postal machine cancel. Retains a green 1¢ Benjamin Franklin stamp (1902 series) and is addressed in pencil to a Mrs. A. Scott on Rural Free Delivery Route 7 (R.F.D. #7) in Erie.

CONDITION REPORT:Both cards are in Very Good Antique Condition with outstanding contrast and sharp details on the factory floor text and workers' clothing.

• Fronts: Excellent silvering and tones. Mild corner and edge wear typical of 100+ year old photographic paper. No major cracks on the photo emulsions.
• Backs: The 1908 back displays a crisp, bold postmark and complete stamp. The unposted DOPS card is bright and clean with very minor age toning along the borders.

SHIPPING & HANDLING:

• Each card will be protected in an archival-safe plastic sleeve.
• Shipped securely sandwiched inside a rigid top-loader and reinforced with thick cardboard to prevent bending.
• Tracked shipping via USPS.