“Carriages, Wagons & Sleighs Repaired and Ironed” handbill by Cheny’s Repair Shop

Notice!
Carriages, Wagons & Sleighs Repaired and Ironed by Practical Mechanics at Cheny’s Repair Shop, 412 North Christian Street, a few doors above Lemon.
Prices lower than the lowest. Do not Forget the Place. Give us a Call.
W. R. Cheny, Prop’r.
Pluck Print

A handbill advertising Cheny’s Repair Shop, whose proprietor was William R. Cheney (1859–1932). His last name appears here in print as “Cheny,” but his gravestone adds an extra e—“Cheney.”

David Bachman Landis of Pluck Art Printery (later known as Landis Art Press) printed this piece with the “Cheny” spelling, and he also printed a separate business card for him using “Cheney”—see W. R. Cheney, Carriage Builder, Lancaster, Pa.

Lancaster city directories document the spellings of William Chen[e]y’s name and his business and home addresses between 1877 and 1903 (see below). Based on the addresses alone, it appears that the handbill above (with 412 North Christian Street) dates to 1888 or 1890, while the business card (26 North Christian Street) corresponds to the directory entries for 1892 and 1896. If 24—instead of 26—North Christian Street represents the same location, then the city directories show that he continued in business there during 1897 and 1898.

See Alan Mays’s Flickr post for additional details about William Cheney’s business.

With the exception of Challenge (BB&S) and the unidentified gothic of lighter weight, all typefaces seen here also appear in a similar layout for another advertisement printed by Landis, see “The New Singer Vibrator!” handbill. “Carriages” and “412 North Christian Street” are set in two sizes from Gothic No. 122. The design of this typeface varies greatly from size to size. While the larger sizes have a G with bar, diagonal terminals in C or S, and an R with curved leg, smaller sizes feature a barless G, horizontal terminals, and a straight-legged R.