Cash register
Creator: National Cash Register Company.
Date: 1912
1912 cash register manufactured by the National Cash Register Company of Dayton, Ohio. Model number 442 and serial number S193881K. The ornate brass register sits on an oak base with the cash drawer. This cash register was used in a dress shop in Ness City until the 1970s. It was factory refurbished in 1924.

Cigar store Indian
Creator: Hen, Edward
Date: 1871
Painted wooden cigar store Indian. Brought to Topeka in 1871 by Henry Moeser (1837-1876), who operated a cigar store in the 100 block of Kansas Avenue from about 1870 to 1876. The figure was reportedly also later displayed at the Windsor House Hotel, which operated at the corner of Kansas Avenue and 7th Street from 1882 to 1889. Moeser is believed to have acquired the carving from the New York tobacco supply house of Edward Hen.

Coal pick
Creator: Blue Rapids Lumber Company
Date: between 1903 and 1936
Coal pick from the Blue Rapids Lumber Company. The sides of the pick head are embossed with the company's name and phone number. The Blue Rapids Lumber Company was founded in July of 1903 and closed in October of 1936.

Coffee mill
Date: between 1898 and 1910
Enterprise Manufacturing coffee mill, patent date 1898. The cast iron mill is painted red and decorated with numerous decals. It sits on a wooden base with a drawer. This mill was used at the J.J. Kane General Merchandise store in Rock Creek, Kansas.

Gum vending machine
Creator: Mansfield Company
Date: between 1902 and 1910
Glass and metal vending machine by the Automatic Clerk Company for Mansfield's Choice Pepsin Gum. The machine sell packs of the gum in either peppermint or blood orange for a nickel. This machine was from the Kelley Store in White Cloud, Kansas. In 1893 three brothers, George B. Kelley, Rufus G. Kelley, and James P. Kelley, were all clerks at George Kuzman's Superior Store. That year they bought the store from Kuzman, renaming it the Kelley Brothers Cash Store. The store remained in the Kelley family under various names until at least 1977. The Mansfield Company and the affiliated Automatic Clerk Company were both based in Newark, New Jersey.

Trade card
Creator: Cox, Palmer
Date: between 1892 and 1900
Palmer Cox Brownie paper doll. Part of a series distributed as a promotional item with Lion Coffee from the Woolson Spice Company of Toledo, Ohio. The doll's head and body are two separate pieces, and, as described on the reverse, "By interchanging the heads amusing results are obtained." The doll's body and head are both labeled "Indian."

Trade card
Creator: A.D. Robbins & Company
Date: between 1882 and 1883
Trade Card for A.D. Robbins & Company Dry Goods, located at 225 Kansas Avenue, Topeka. One-sided with a color illustration of two children dancing with an organ grinder in the background. The firm was originally founded as Bosworth & Robbins in the early 1870s. Bosworth retired in March of 1882. Robbins continued alone in the dry goods business until June of 1883.

Trade card
Creator: Cox, Palmer
Date: between 1892 and 1900
Palmer Cox Brownie paper doll. Part of a series distributed as a promotional item with Lion Coffee from the Woolson Spice Company of Toledo, Ohio. The doll's head and body are two separate pieces, and, as described on the reverse, "By interchanging the heads amusing results are obtained." The doll's body and head are both labeled "Japanese."

Trade card
Creator: DeMoss, James Andrew
Date: between 1885 and 1905
Trade card for Dr. J.A. DeMoss of Thayer, Kansas. One-sided, black on white. Photograph of the doctor on the left side of the card. Dr. DeMoss (1859-1943) was practicing in Thayer by at least 1884.

Trade card
Creator: Hollcraft, Mary E.
Date: between 1902 and 1921
Trade card wishing an Easter Greeting from Mrs. M.E. Hollcraft, florist, at 807 Kansas Avenue, Topeka. One-sided, full-color, embossed card with four chicks and a cornucopia of flowers. Mary E. Hollcraft operated her flower shop at that address from July of 1902 until the time of her death in 1921.

Trade card
Date: between 1885 and 1900
Trade card for the Ford County Real Estate and Loan Company, located diagonally opposite the post office in Dodge City, Kansas. The partners are listed as C.M. Beeson, J.A. Arment, and W.H. Harris. Two-sided. Front printed in red, gold, and black. Reverse printed in black with a plat map.

Trade card
Creator: Breen, Katie
Date: between 1884 and 1897
Trade card advertising the Jackson Corset Company's corset-waist, for sale by Miss Katie Breen of Horton, Kansas. The front of the card is a color lithograph of a corseted woman brushing her hair in front of a mirror. The back of the card is printed in black and white with information about the corset-waist and Miss Breen's business.

Trade card
Creator: A. Gandy, Mechant Tailor
Date: 1882
Trade card advertising A. Gandy, Merchant Tailor of Topeka. One-sided, black text below a cartoon printed in blue, red, and yellow. Cartoon captioned "Which shall it be?" and depicts a hunter aiming his shotgun at a scarecrow to the left while two rabbits watch him from the right. The original address printed on the card, 234 Kansas Avenue, has been amended to 206 Kansas Avenue by a second printing. A. Gandy moved between the two addresses in June of 1882.

Trade card
Creator: Parsons Sun
Date: between 1875 and 1876
Trade card promoting subscriptions to and advertising in the Parsons Sun, compliments of editors and proprietors Reynolds, Gifford and Winter. One-sided, four-color printing with floral decorations. The Parsons Sun was founded as a weekly by M.W. Reynolds in June of 1871. In 1875 he was joined by A.W. Gifford and W.L. Winter when their previous paper, The Surprise, merged into the Sun.

Trade card
Creator: Golden Belt Town Company
Date: between 1886 and 1895
Trade card for the Golden Belt Town Company with general offices in Peabody, Kansas. One-sided, black on white. The Golden Belt Town Company was incorporated in 1886 to buy and sell land on the right of way of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway in south-central Kansas, including the communities of Waldeck, Durham, Tampa, Ramona, Lincolnville, Furley, and Peck. The company also owned an undivided one-half interest in the Lost Springs, Aulne, Elbing, Whitewater, and Gladys townsites.

Trade card
Creator: Bernheimer & Levi Trade Palace
Date: between 1885 and 1887
Trade card for Bernheimer & Levi, the Trade Palace, located at 211 Kansas Avenue, Topeka. One-sided, full-color card with an image of a girl in blue and white dress seated on a stone bench with flowers and a robin. The business, which operated from 1882 to 1889, was located at the 211 Kansas Avenue address from July of 1885 to May of 1887.

Trade card
Creator: Thompson, Alton Howard
Date: 1880
Trade card announcing a change of address for A.H. Thomspon, D.D.S. to 237 Kansas Avenue in Topeka, effective April 15, 1880. One-sided, black on white. On the reverse of the card in pen is a numbered list of songs.

Trade card
Creator: Barnes and Sim
Date: between 1881 and 1886
Trade card advertising holiday goods at the Barnes & Sim drug store, 181 Kansas Avenue, Topeka. One-sided multi-color card in the shape of a leaf. Arthur E. Barnes and Coler L. Sim were partners from about 1881 to 1887.

Trade card
Creator: Kirkpatrick's Palace Shoe Store
Date: between 1885 and 1886
Trade card compliments of Kirkpatrick's Parlor Shoe Store at 153 Kansas Avenue, Topeka. One-sided, full-color with a scene of two little girls collecting flowers in the woods. The business was at this address from about 1885 to 1886.

Trade card
Date: 1882
1882 trade card celebrating the 20th anniversary of J.A. Polley's Topeka Carriage Factory. One-sided. Pre-printed in brown with flowers and a photographic image of an infant. Stamped in black with the business information.

Trade card
Creator: Thomas Shaw Company
Date: between 1901 and 1905
Trade card promoting pianos made by the Cable Company of Chicago for sale at the Thomas Shaw Company of Wichita. Two-sided, embossed card. Obverse is full-color and features a framed scene of a country village with flowers above and below. Reverse printed in black and red with information about the Cable Company. Thomas Shaw, "The Music Man" of Wichita, was in business from about 1885 until his retirement in 1905. The Cable Piano Company, sometimes called just The Cable Company, was founded in Chicago in 1880, and they added a factory in St. Charles in 1901.

Trade card
Creator: Cox, Palmer
Date: between 1892 and 1900
Palmer Cox Brownie paper doll. Part of a series distributed as a promotional item with Lion Coffee from the Woolson Spice Company of Toledo, Ohio. The doll's head and body are two separate pieces, and, as described on the reverse, "By interchanging the heads amusing results are obtained." The doll's body is labeled "Dutchman" and its head is "Plain Brownie."

Trade card
Creator: W.R. Fish
Date: between 1885 and 1891
Trade card for W.R. Fish's China Tea Store, located at 106 6th Avenue East, Topeka. One-sided, full-color card in the shape of a fish. William R. Fish, Senior (1843-1891) established his coffee, tea, and spice shop in the early 1880s, and he relocated to the 100 block of 6th Avenue in early 1885.

Trade card
Creator: Burlington Carriage Works
Date: between 1888 and 1891
Trade card for the Burlington Carriage Works, located on South Third Street in Burlington, Kansas and under the proprietorship of H.L. Rehkoph. Black text over a green illustration of an open carriage. Henry L. Rehkopf was the sole proprietor of the Burlington Carriage Works from 1888 to 1891.

Trade card
Creator: Bison Milling & Elevator Company
Date: between 1905 and 1915
Business card for L.A. Carlson of the Bison Milling & Elevator Company located in Bison, Kansas and under the proprietorship of Ben Rein. One-sided, blue and red text on white. The blank for the salesman's name is filled in with pen. The Bison Milling & Elevator Company was established in 1901.