JHE Stelling, Bookbinder, Stationer, Printer and Blank Book Manufacturer had these labels made up, according to the seller, in the 1860s. I bought this particular example off everyone’s favorite online auction site. Boy was I suprised when it arrived in the mail. It’s HUGE! I mean, I was expecting the little labels you typically find stuck on an endpaper somewhere, under 1 inch in any direction. You know the type. The kind of thing usually seen over at Seven Roads Book Trade Label Gallery. This thing is displayed here at nearly life size. It’s HUGE! Anyway, my main concern is the history of the Stelling concern. Was Stelling at work in the 1860s? When did they arrive in Des Moines? Did they come from somewhere else, go anywhere else? Why is this label so big? Googling JHE Stelling did not reveal anything. Any ideas, guesses or knowing?
Hello there – I also collect booksellers’ tickets and related ephemera, and know several other folks who do, too. I don’t see an email address for you on your sites – would you please email me with your info so I can write to you some other way than via your blog? My email is on my profile page at my blog. Thank you…. Very nice sites, here and on Flickr.