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Up for sale is an authentic, highly decorative piece of late-19th-century Southern commercial and retail ephemera. This individual document is an original business letterhead from George J. Fargo Furniture & Household Decorations, located at 630 Broad Street in Augusta, Georgia, dated January 10, 1896.
The letterhead features fantastic, ornate late-Victorian typographical engravings highlighting the company’s extensive inventory, including:
Furniture, Carpets, Rugs, Mattings, Wall Paper, Household Decorations, and Baby Carriages.
The letter is hand-written in elegant ink script to John D. Walker, Esq., Cashier of the historic Bank of R.A. Graves in Sparta, Georgia. The text details a commercial collections draft on a local Sparta resident named "J. Silver" for an outstanding balance. Fargo notes that Mr. Silver may complain about it being an "old balance" and explicitly authorizes the banker to deduct minor charges or extend a day or two of grace period to clear the paperwork.
The bottom features a prominent, perfectly crisp circular blue ink transit stamp reading: "BANK OF R.A. GRAVES, SPARTA, GA. - PAID JAN 13 1896".
This is a wonderful piece for collectors specializing in Augusta/Georgia business history, late 19th-century banking collection procedures, or Victorian retail trade graphics.
Condition Report:
Overall State: Very Good antique condition with superb document clarity.
Paper: Original lined period stationary stock. Holds standard horizontal mailing folds. Two neat, original file-binding punch holes are present on the left margin from its time in the bank's original letter book archive.
Inks: The intricate stylized corporate header banner and typography are beautifully dark, sharp, and highly defined. The handwritten ink text and blue bank stamp are completely bright and clear.
Flaws: Displays typical, very light natural edge-toning and faint uniform aging appropriate for a 130-year-old paper item. Left edge shows minor texture from being removed from a bound archival stack.
Shipping & Handling: Shipped flat with maximum protection. The document will be housed in an acid-free archival sleeve and sandwiched securely between two rigid, extra-thick layers of corrugated shipping cardboard to guarantee safe delivery without any bending or creasing. Fully tracked and insured.
