Celluloid Paperweight Style Advertising Mirror United States Steel 3.5" Diameter

Description

Vintage Celluloid
Paperweight-Style
Advertising Mirror
United States Steel Supply
Division of United States Steel
WX 4285
"WE WANT TO WORK FOR YOU"
There was a time when it was not enough
for a salesman to leave a business card in
order to remind a would-be customer to
purchase the caller’s wares. At the end of
the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries,
it was also customary for salesmen to leave
a giveaway, too.
One especially charming giveaway item from
this period was the advertising mirror,
whose
celluloid faces advertised everything from
cigars
to trucks tires.
In their heyday, from roughly 1900 until the
Great
Depression, oval, round, and square
advertising
mirrors shared a number of similar
features. To
begin, the celluloid faces of these
promotional
items
curled to the back until they
came in contact with
the object’s collet, which
was the metal ring that held
the mirror firmly in
place. The manufacturer of the mirror was often
credited on the edge of the curl—prominent
names to look for include Whitehead and Hoag,
Bastian Brothers, Parisian Novelty, and The
American Art Works, which was based on
Coshocton, Ohio.
The size of these objects ranged from button-
sized ovals and circles to larger, paperweight-
type mirrors, which were designed to be a
reminder of a product or service when
sitting
prominently atop a stack of papers on a
customer’s desk.
Excellent condition, measuring 3.5" in diameter.
Round, paperweight-style advertising mirror.
Mirror is firmly in place, n
ot cracked or chipped.
Mirror has some specs and scratches.
Celluloid has some scuffs & scratches.
Collet has some rust specs.
See photos for more detail.