Charles J Fields Sons Invoice 1902 Philadelphia Hardware Store Door Check For Sale

This early 20th-century commercial document is a printed invoice from Charles J. Field\'s Sons, a Philadelphia hardware wholesaler and retailer operating from their dual addresses at 633 Market Street and 624 Commerce Street. Dated April 13, 1902, with a stamped notation, the letterhead showcases the firm\'s extensive inventory through bold typographic listings including \"ANVILS, VISES, FILES,\" \"Proved Ship & Crane Chain,\" and \"Railroad & Machinists\' Supplies,\" reflecting the industrial demands of the era. The company\'s proprietors, George W. Field and Frank T. Field, are prominently named in the letterhead\'s design, which features a distinctive triangular banner motif and period-appropriate typefaces. A technical illustration of \"The Blount Liquid Door Check\" appears as an advertised product, suggesting the firm\'s specialization in architectural hardware. The document bears handwritten transactional details recording a purchase by J.J. Vogdes, likely a contractor or landscaper given the notation for \"2 dz Davis Lawn Rakes\" and other garden implements, with calculations in ink showing quantities and extended prices. The inclusion of \"Fairmount Park\" in the manuscript suggests a possible connection to Philadelphia\'s expansive municipal park system during its Gilded Age development. Printed on now-toned paper with blue and pink ruled columns, the invoice exhibits characteristic early 1900s commercial printing techniques, though potential creases and folds not visible in images may be present as with most surviving ephemera of this vintage. The artifact provides valuable insight into Philadelphia\'s hardware trade networks, pre-automation business record-keeping practices, and the material culture of American urban commerce during the Progressive Era.