Both sides of an undated advertising card for Jonathan R. Bowman, Dealer in General Merchandise, Millersburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
The card was provided by the Merrick Thread Company to local dealers of the thread and bobbins. Merrick manufactured “six cord soft finish spool cotton for machine and hand sewing, warranted 200 years,” and “ready wound bobbins for sewing machines.”
The face of the card shows a racist image of two African Americans eating watermelon and a man hovering over them. The image does not appear to have any relationship to the thread company except for the sarcastic attempt at dialect in the expression, “dis cotton am not gwin’ to break!” Cabinets or store displays as well as advertising in print media for Merrick sometimes used similar images.
For a brief history, see Merrick Thread Company.
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