SELLING THE PERFECT VICTORIAN LAWN

Hendrickson, Applegate & Conover

Excelsior Roller Mower [Chromolithographed Advertising Trade Card]

Red Bank, New Jersey: Hendrickson, Applegate & Conover, ca. 1880s–1890s.

THE VICTORIAN LAWN AND THE MACHINE THAT MAINTAINED IT.
An attractive nineteenth-century advertising piece promoting the Excelsior Roller Mower, manufactured or distributed by Hendrickson, Applegate & Conover of Red Bank, New Jersey.

The colorful chromolithographed illustration depicts a neatly dressed boy operating a mechanical lawn mower on the grounds of a substantial suburban residence. A family gathering beneath a large tree completes the scene, associating the mower with the well-kept lawns and domestic comforts of prosperous Victorian households.

The reverse promotes the mower's ease of operation, effectiveness along borders, and quality of cutting, accompanied by a price schedule for six available sizes.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS: A COLORFUL EXAMPLE OF VICTORIAN TRADE ADVERTISING.
+++ Single sheet measuring approximately 3.4 × 5.75 inches, printed on both sides of lightweight paper rather than cardstock.
+++ The recto features a multicolored chromolithographed residential scene with a prominently illustrated Excelsior Roller Mower, decorative lettering, and the company name along the lower edge.
+++ The verso is printed in black with ornamental typography and a floral decoration. Includes descriptive advertising copy and prices for six cutting widths, ranging from 10 inches at $13 to 20 inches at $23, followed by the firm's Red Bank, New Jersey, imprint.

CONDITION: VERY GOOD. Light, even age-toning with minor handling wear and slight irregularity along the edges and corners. The chromolithographed illustration retains attractive color and definition. Reverse printing is complete and legible. No evidence of previous folding.

The narrow margins raise the possibility of minor trimming, although the illustration and advertising text remain complete, and trimming cannot be established.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: THE MECHANIZATION OF THE AMERICAN LAWN—THE LAWN MOWER AS A HOUSEHOLD CONVENIENCE.
During the nineteenth century, the increasing availability of mechanical lawn mowers helped make regularly maintained lawns a recognizable feature of American residential landscapes. Advertising presented these machines as practical improvements to household maintenance and the appearance of private grounds.

SELLING THE SUBURBAN IDEAL.
The Excelsior advertisement combines an illustrated domestic scene with specific claims about mechanical performance. Its depiction of a boy operating the mower reinforces the manufacturer's emphasis on ease of use, while the large house, landscaped grounds, and family gathering associate the product with comfortable suburban living.

The reverse provides useful commercial evidence through its six mower sizes and corresponding prices, documenting how these machines were marketed to late nineteenth-century purchasers.

GENRES: Advertising Ephemera, Victorian Trade Cards, Chromolithography, Agricultural Advertising, Trade Ephemera, Americana.

SUBJECTS: Excelsior Roller Mower, Hendrickson Applegate & Conover, Red Bank New Jersey, Lawn Mowers, Lawn Care, Garden Equipment, Mechanical Lawn Mowers, Victorian Advertising, Chromolithography, American Suburban Life, Domestic Technology, Nineteenth-Century Advertising.

Item #22608

Price: $14.00