Alliance Historical Society spotlights city businesses
There’s something new at Mabel’s Mini Mu.
The Alliance Historical Society has put together an exhibit of advertising novelties from Alliance businesses as well as a display of printing blocks and prints made from them. The two attractions are housed in the Alliance History Mini Museum, located at the Mabel Hartzell Historical Home.
The artifacts will be on view during the annual tours held in conjunction with the Greater Alliance Carnation Festival as well as newly established open hours on the first weekend of each month.
“The advertising novelties are very interesting,” said Karen Perone, president of the Alliance Historical Society. “There are some from longstanding businesses in Alliance and many from businesses that are no longer in existence. It’s quite a mix.”
The oldest items in the collection are paper fans dating as far back as the 1890s put out by businessmen such as James R. Cady, a pharmacist, who did business at Mount Union Square, and F.J. Poto & Son, who sold grain, feed and seeds on Freedom Avenue.
“Just about anything that companies would print their names on is in there,” said Perone. “Things like pens, rulers, keychains and lots of calendars.”
A few new donations that some visitors will remember from their childhoods are piggy banks from Midland Buckeye and dime holders from various other Alliance banks.
There are some rare objects that are featured in the exhibit, including a cross wrench that has Alliance Tenna Rotor engraved on it, and oddities such as a yellow combination comb and shoehorn that bears the name of Shrigley & Mehl shoe store on it with the slogan “Be neat from head to feet.”
Visitors to the Mabel Hartzell Historical Home are encouraged to bring similar advertising novelties from past and present Alliance businesses to donate to the Historical Society’s collection. Patrons will also have the opportunity to write down their memories of Alliance businesses featured in the exhibit for posterity.
As for the display of printing blocks, they have been brought to life by Priscilla Roggenkamp, a local artist who was able to produce prints from the blocks in her studio. Some of the prints include logos from various entities, artist renditions of buildings and likenesses of people.
A large collage of block print letters that hung in the office of the Alliance Review for nearly 50 years is also part of the exhibit.
Carnation Festival tours of both the Mabel Hartzell Historical Home and the Alliance History Mini Museum, located at 840 N. Park Ave., will be held between 1 and 4 p.m. between Sunday, Aug. 7 and Friday, Aug. 12. No reservations are required for those tours.
The Alliance Historical Society also announces that it is establishing monthly open hours every first weekend of the month during which tours of the Mabel Hartzell Historical Home and Alliance History Mini Museum will be offered. Reservations are required for these first-weekend open hours. Tours will be given at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. sharp on both Friday and Sunday as well as 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. sharp on Saturday. Those wishing to take a tour should visit alliancehistory.org/hartzell-home/visiting to book a tour.
The suggested donation is $5 per adult. Children under 12 years old and members are admitted free.
Tours are also available by appointment by calling 330-736-1116 or by emailing alliancehistory@yahoo.com.
This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Alliance Historical Society spotlights city businesses
