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RARE Antique Boston Harness Co. Wholesale Trade Catalog c-1905–1910.Location: Concord Junction, Massachusetts.Publisher: Boston Harness Co. (Founded by Harvey Wheeler).
An incredibly scarce, authentic piece of turn-of-the-century equine and Massachusetts industrial history. This comprehensive wholesale trade catalog is a must-have for collectors of horse-drawn carriage ephemera, antique advertising, and regional New England history.
Format: Cloth-bound hardback cover Dimensions: Measures approximately 8 x 9-1/2 inches. Page Count: 148 pages. Illustration Density: Fully illustrated! Every single page features detailed, high-quality illustrations of the company’s extensive inventory. Contents Include: Heavy team harnesses, carriage harnesses, buggy harnesses, saddles, leather belts, holsters, and miscellaneous stable hardware.
The Boston Harness Company was a major industrial powerhouse in Concord Junction, manufacturing up to 20,000 harnesses a year at its peak. Catalogs like this were distributed exclusively to wholesale buyers and blacksmiths, meaning the vast majority were thrown away or worn out over a century ago. Finding a complete copy is exceptionally rare.
Overall: A highly presentable, solid antique copy that handles beautifully. Moderate wear and handling to covers; some old pale water marks to a couple dozen pages (not really that bad!).
227 Our 27th year on
("The Boston Harness Company factory opened on Main Street near what is now Baker Avenue in 1890 and by 1899 employed 175 workers, according to the Concord Enterprise. By 1892 they were making 20,000 harnesses a year, saddles, holsters, and belts. Many of the workers were from Canada, Ireland, France, and Scandinavia.")
