1908 Ideal Mfg Co Tilton NH Letterhead Ladies Shirt Waist Suits Fashion... For Sale

Addressed to Mrs. Alice Clough of Wolfeboro Falls, New Hampshire, the brief letter acknowledges receipt of her correspondence and confirms that her shipment was sent by freight the previous day. While the text is short, it provides a fascinating glimpse into the business operations and distribution network of a New England clothing manufacturer during the height of the ready-to-wear garment industry.

The decorative illustrated letterhead is the highlight of this piece and would display beautifully framed or as part of a collection of advertising, fashion, or New Hampshire ephemera.

During the early 1900s, the shirtwaist became one of the defining garments of the Edwardian era. Combining style with practicality, shirtwaists revolutionized women\'s fashion and became staples of both everyday and professional wardrobes. Companies such as the Ideal Manufacturing Company helped fuel the growth of America\'s booming ready-made clothing industry, supplying garments throughout New England and beyond.

This letter also reflects the growing reliance on freight transportation and mail-order commerce that connected manufacturers with customers and retailers across the United States in the years before widespread automobile delivery.

Tilton, N.H.
October 22, 1908

Mrs. Alice Clough
Wolfeboro Falls, N.H.

Dear Madam:

Yours received and in reply will say that we shipped your pieces by freight yesterday.

Yours very truly,

Ideal Mfg. Co.

B.

• Original 1908 document.
• Attractive illustrated company letterhead.
• Fold lines from original filing and mailing.
• Light age toning and minor edge wear consistent with age.
• Please review all photographs for condition.

• Early American advertising
• Textile and garment manufacturing
• Shirtwaist fashion
• Women\'s clothing history
• Art Nouveau ephemera
• New Hampshire history
• Industrial Americana
• Commercial correspondence
• Decorative letterheads
• Paper and ephemera collections

A scarce and visually appealing piece of early American fashion and manufacturing history featuring one of the most attractive commercial letterheads of the Edwardian period.