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Clark's Spool Cotton Trade Card

Trade card with a color image of the Capitol East Front, surrounded by a sprig of yellow flowers. Text reads, “National Flower Series. Capitol at Washington. The Golden Rod, United States.”/tiles/collection/2/26374.xml
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Reverse of trade card, with text reading, “The Most Popular Articles of Their Kind, Clark’s O.N.T. Spool Cotton, trade mark, for Hand and Machine Sewing. Clark’s O.N.T. Crochet Cotton on Balls, Clark’s O.N.T. Darning Cotton on Balls, Milward’s Helix Needles and Marshall’s Linen Threads. For Sale Everywhere. There are Five Cards in the National Flower Series. The Golden Rod, United States. The Thistle, Scotland. The Fleur De Lis, France. The Rose, England. The Shamrock, Ireland. Any one unable to get a complete set from their Dry Good Merchant can get them free of charge on application from George A. Clark & Brother. 400 Broadway, New York.”/tiles/collection/2/26367.xml
Download this image
Trade card with a color image of the Capitol East Front, surrounded by a sprig of yellow flowers. Text reads, “National Flower Series. Capitol at Washington. The Golden Rod, United States.”
Reverse of trade card, with text reading, “The Most Popular Articles of Their Kind, Clark’s O.N.T. Spool Cotton, trade mark, for Hand and Machine Sewing. Clark’s O.N.T. Crochet Cotton on Balls, Clark’s O.N.T. Darning Cotton on Balls, Milward’s Helix Needles and Marshall’s Linen Threads. For Sale Everywhere. There are Five Cards in the National Flower Series. The Golden Rod, United States. The Thistle, Scotland. The Fleur De Lis, France. The Rose, England. The Shamrock, Ireland. Any one unable to get a complete set from their Dry Good Merchant can get them free of charge on application from George A. Clark & Brother. 400 Broadway, New York.”
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Date

ca. 1898

Dimensions

5 × 7 5/8 in. (12.7 × 19.4 cm)

Accession Number

2007.126.000

Credit Line

Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives

Object Details

Most advertising cards, called "trade cards," were tiny. But Clark's thread company's versions, often oversized and based on specially-commissioned watercolors, became the favorites in many collectors’ scrapbooks. This view of the Capitol and a spray of goldenrod was part of a lengthy series that paired flowers and nations. At the turn of the 20th century, the indigenous yellow bloom was considered the odds-on favorite to be named America's official national flower.

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Office of the Historian: history@mail.house.gov
Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk: art@mail.house.gov, archives@mail.house.gov