Turn of the 20th Century - Iowa Seed Company Ephemera

I routinely dump interesting postcard images into a folder until I gather enough from one company to become interested.  When I saw I had 3 from the Iowa Seed Company, I took a look for catalogs in the Biodiversity Heritage Library with fair success!  Later I'll post some of their most interesting advertising art from the catalogs...but today here are the postcards and a few snippets about the company.

"8,600 acres in seed growing"

While I'm not sure, I believe this "we pay the postage" engraving was used by printers around this time for many companies...it isn't unique to this catalog.  Sure is wonderful though!!!

below -1893 Market Garden

This is the address on the postcards.

Miss McMillan's Purse

This Guthrie-Lorenz store was in Des Moines, Iowa, 1911. Full photo below.

When I first looked, I found very little online about Guthrie-Lorenz.  But then I found a few crumbs which were amusing.  This news from a 1922 copy of the American Florist shows they were still in business then.  

Des Moines Floral Arts Club.

The Floral Arts Club. of Des Moines. 1a.. held its regular monthly meeting at the Harris-Emery Tea room. February 14. Following the dinner the president. F. J. VVrlght, introduced Prof. S. A. Beach. dean of horticulture, Iowa State college. Ames, as the speaker of the evening. He spoke of "Vocational Training." and told of the time when students were required to take many studies that were foreign to the particular course they had in mind. But now all roads lead to the goal and students gain much time pursuing the courses desired at present-day colleges.

Prof. Voltz, of the same college  emphasized the need of carefully labeling trees, plants and shrubs in public gardens.  L. E. Foglesong, landscape artist for the state executive council described, in part, the plans for the new perennial garden at the State House grounds. Des Moines. which will contain 9.000 square feet of space and about 10.000 plants,  all of which are to be carefully labeled.

At the January meeting of the club  J. W. Ash had offered a purse of 500 coins for the best display of flowers for the February meeting.   Miss M. McMillan. of the Guthrie-Lorenz Co.. was the only entrant  exhibiting a beautiful collection of corsages  it being ladies' night. When the purse was awarded it proved to be a real curiosity,  comprising 500 cowries, which is the smallest value of any monetary system.   Mr. Ash had secured the money while in Y. M. C. A. work in British India. At the conclusion of the meeting the ladies received the corsages and Miss McMillan generously shared the contents of the purse with all present.  (See cowry links below!)

Then I found this...

This is the corner...all the corners there now look like this.  

Nothing left of the last century and before.

Cowry Links :-)

• This PDF is great!!  On the cowrie as money, and the general theme of what makes a good money system.  Good for adults and kids.
• National Bank of Belgium has a page on the cowry as money
• and, of course, Wikipedia
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