Object Record

Images

1 of 1977

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Additional Images [2]

Metadata

Object ID #

2013.036.003

Object Name

Yardstick

Other Name

Novelty, Promotional

Title

T. I. Thomson Advertising Yardstick

Lexicon category

5: T&E For Science & Technology

Date

Early 20th-century

Year Range to

1909

Artist

Toronto Lithographing Company

Made

Toronto Lithographing Company

Place of Origin

Toronto, Ontario

Description

Black-printed wooden advertising yardstick. It is 36 inches long, but is only marked to "35". It is printed on one side with "T. I. THOMSON, Shelf & Heavy Hardware & Frost, American Field & Ideal Fencing, OWEN SOUND". The other side has 1/4 yard increments marked, as well as "PAINTS OILS & VARNISH WHITE SEWING MACHINES". Small lettering spells the manufacturer's name, "Toronto Litho. Co." Someone pencilled "PEARL" and "ruller" (sic) onto this side.

Makers mark

Small printed lettering: "Toronto Litho. Co., Toronto"

Provenance

Manufactured in Toronto for T. I. Thomson by the Toronto Lithographing Company. Dates to the early 20th-century.

Thomas I. Thomson was an Owen Sound hardware merchant. According to the 1892 Rutherford's Directory of Owen Sound, his business was located at 57-59, Poulett Street.

Belonged to McKay Brothers Limited, a drygoods department store in Owen Sound, Grey County. The building was designed in 1905 by Forster and Clark of Owen Sound, for the Ryan Brothers drygoods business. It was located at 942, 2nd Avenue East. In 1924, it was acquired by the McKay Brothers, who had a previous location on main street.

Last owned by Tim Cotter of Owen Sound. He worked at the department store, starting as an errand boy and eventually becoming assistant manager. The store closed in June of 1989.

Collection

Household Equipment, 20th-c Collection

Material

Wood/Ink

Dimensions

W-91.5 L-3 D-0.5 cm

Found

Owen Sound, Grey County

People

Thomson, Thomas I.

Search Terms

McKay Brothers Dry Goods

Function

Useful household item, custom-printed for an Owen Sound hardware business and likely given away to customers. It advertised some of the products sold at the T. I. Thomson hardware store.