Dobbins' Electric Soap trade cards no. 3, 4, and 5

Philadelphia: I. L. Cragin & Co., 1880. 3 cards (12.6 x 7.6 cm.) from a set of 7 cards that illustrate the seven ages of man. Each has a chromolithographed illustration on a gilt background captioned with a quotation from Shakespeare. In the text on the back I. L. Cragin & Co. offers the 7 cards in exchange for the purchase of 7 bars of Dobbins' Electric Soap. The back of each card also contains the appropriate text from the "All the world's a stage" speach from As You Like It. These cards portray the lover, the soldier, and the justice. Isaiah L. Cragin & Co., established in 1867, made Dobbins Electric Soap, a laundry soap named after John B. Dobbins of Philadelphia, who first manufactured it. "Electric" implied that the soap was powerful and fast. The cards were printed by Chas. Shields' Sons, NY, which was in business at 20 & 22 Gold St., the address given here, from 1879 to 1882. In Very Good Condition: each card has had part of the red border removed; no. 4 has had minor loss at one lower corner; the back of each card is discolored; small scrape on the back of no. 4; images are clean and bright. Very Good. Item #010343

Price: $24.00