Mary Sproat's Green

The earliest known depiction of the 1871 Green School is this oil on canvas painting by Middleborough artist Mary Sproat (1837-88).  To read more about the image, visit Green School History, the companion blog to Recollecting Nemasket.

Illustration:
Untitled, Mary Sproat (1837-88), oil on canvas, private collection.

Green School History Updated

Thanks to the efforts of many within the community and the contributions of residents and former pupils alike, the Green School has been preserved as one of the few remaining one-room schoolhouses in Middleborough.  The image below captures a number of the pupils at the school in September, 1938.  Additional images from the same year may be found at Green School History.

Illustration:
First and Second Grade Students, Green School, Middleborough, MA, photograph, September, 1938.
Photograph courtesy of The Beauty of Middleborough.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all the readers of Recollecting Nemasket and best wishes for a happy, safe and healthy New Year.

Illustration:
Church of Our Saviour, Center Street, Middleborough, photograph, mid-20th century.
The Episcopal Church of Our Saviour at the corner of Center and Union Streets is captured following a heavy  snowstorm which has covered the building.  A lone shoveler at the right of the image is hard at work clearing the steps of the church.

Neither Rain Nor Sleet Nor Snow

This unidentified Middleborough letter carrier braves the snow to deliver mail about 1900.  He wears the blue-gray double-breasted winter overcoat which was authorized by U. S. Postal Laws and Regulations in 1893 (though he appears to be missing a button as well as the badge from his woolen cap).  Underneath, he wears a heavy sweater to protect him from the cold.  Secured to his top overcoat button is a long chain on the end of which was most assuredly a whistle.  Not until about 1912 were urban customers required to provide a mail slot or mailbox for delivery.  Consequently, early letter carriers were required to knock and wait at doors, or whistle, a circumstance which delayed them considerably on their rounds.  The leather postal satchel is filled, requiring the carrier to secure letters outside the bag with a leather strap.  At a time when most residents knew their letter carrier by name, one thoughtful homeowner seems to have provided the intrepid mailman with a bit of cake according to the caption he wrote in the margin of the card.

Illustration:
Real Photo Postcard, c. 1900.
Included in a collection of other images of Middleborough, the post card is believed to depict a Middleborough letter carrier, though he remains unidentified.

Boston & Middleboro Retail Clothiers

During the late 19th century, retailers relied upon a number of means of advertising, including colorful trade cards which were distributed to customers.  The Boston & Middleboro Clothing Company which was located on South Main Street in the American Block was one such company and was noted for the seasonal cards it gave to customers each winter such as the one seen here.

Illustration:
Boston & Middleboro Clothing Company, lithographic advertising card, c. 1890

Ink Blotters

In the past when fountain pens were the principal writing instrument, ink blotters were commonly found nearby. Fashioned from a piece of curved wood or other material, the rocker-style ink blotter featured a knob-like handle on the top and thick absorbent paper on the bottom which could be changed. In order to prevent smearing, excess ink was absorbed from a handwritten page by rocking the blotter over the paper. Businesses eventually found blotting paper, itself, to be an inexpensive form of advertising. Blotters made of thick but absorbent paper were issued as oblong-shaped cards typically measuring 6 by 3 inches. While the reverse was used for blotting ink, the top featured advertisements for banks, insurance companies, service businesses and retailers. With the increasing popularity of the ball point pen in the 1950s came the demise of fountain pens, rocker blotters and blotting paper. Common in the past, advertising card blotters may still be found today in antique stores and other places, though most people are unaware of the functional purpose they once served.

Illustrations:
Middleborough Trust Company, Ink Blotter, 1930s.
Banks were among the most common distributors of advertising blotters and those in Middleborough were no exception as evidenced by this blotter from the Middleborough Trust Company.

Harold A. Williams, Ink Blotter, 1930s.
Private businesses found the blotter a unique way to advertise and one which provided more space than the traditional business card, allowing the business to list services and other details which might not otherwise fit on a smaller card.

Middleboro Skating Rink and the M. C. B.

Roller skating was one of the most popular pastimes of the 1880s, and locally the sport was sponsored by the Middleboro Cornet Band (M. C. B.) which managed the Middleboro Skating Rink, also known as the Nemasket Skating Rink, on Union Street.  Established in 1865, the M. C. B. found that social occasions such as roller skating provided a perfect venue for their performances, and the band accordingly sponsored skating first at Middleborough Town Hall and later at the Middleboro rink where skaters could glide about the wooden floor, accompanied by popular tunes of the day.  Frequently the band hosted more formal social functions at the rink, including 1881's Grand Masque Carnivale with skaters dressed in elaborate costumes participating.  The rink operated through 1886 when it was disassembled, though the band continued to perform until the early 1900s.

 

 

Illustration:
Middleboro Cornet Band, Trade Card, 1881
The colorful trombonist on the front reads music which is marked M. C. B., Middleboro Cornet Band, while the reverse provides the details for patrons.  Skaters were not allowed on the rink floor unless dressed in costume.