Hiram Sibley & Co. "Borecole or Kale Dwarf Green German" Seed Packet, Used in the C.W. Barnes Store, 1882-1888

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THF278920 / Hiram Sibley & Co. "Borecole or Kale Dwarf Green German" Seed Packet, Used in the C.W. Barnes Store, 1882-1888
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Artifact Overview

Distributing seeds required sealing them into little packets or "papers" constructed like envelopes. Seed companies advertised their businesses on these packets, illustrated the vegetable with hand-colored images, and specified growing directions, sometimes in multiple languages. Hiram Sibley and Co. packaged collections of vegetable seeds in specially designed boxes and shipped them to general stores for sale to home gardeners.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Seed packet

Date Made

1882-1888

Creators

Place of Creation

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

29.1987.18.10

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Printing (Process)

Color

Green
Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Width: 2.625 in
Height: 3.875 in

Inscriptions

on front: BORECOLE or KALE / DWARF GREEN GERMAN / SEND FOR OUR ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE... / HIRAM SIBLEY & CO. / ROCHESTER, N.Y. & CHICAGO, ILL.
Keywords
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    Hiram Sibley & Co. Seed Box, Used in the C.W. Barnes Store, 1882-1888

    Hiram Sibley and Co., reputedly the largest seed grower in the world, owned land in several states and foreign countries, operated test gardens to improve seed quality, and used illustrations of multistory seed-packing warehouses to impress customers. Employees packed boxes like this one with collections of seeds (described in company catalogs) and shipped them to home gardeners, farmers, and general stores owners alike.