Heber Wells Wood Type
Came across this small set of 8 Line wood type. Manufacturer’s mark reads Heber Wells NY. I am familiar with Vanderburgh Wells of which he was a partner and found this little blurb online about Heber Wells:
Upon leaving the army, Heber Wells, along with two business partners Alexander Vanderburgh and Henry M Low‹8›, purchased—for $9,250‹9›—the wood type manufactory of E R Webb (successor to Wells & Webb) after Ebenezer Russell Webb’s death in June, 1864. With the death of Henry M Low the following year, Mary Low, Henry’s wife and executress, became partner to Wells and Vanderburgh until her withdrawal from the business in 1887. The company operated successfully as Vanderburgh, Wells & Co until 1890, when Heber took sole ownership. Wells moved the company to 8 Spruce Street in late 1890, and then to 157–159 Williams Street in May 1894. He continued the business under his own name until mid-1899 when he filed for bankruptcy‹10›. The firm and all of its holdings were purchased by The Hamilton Manufacturing Co. of Two Rivers, Wisconsin later that year.
My questions are: Can anyone identify this face? Is it a copy of a previous V&W face or something unique to Heber Wells?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Larry 516-633-5107 cell/text
wt1.JPG
wt2.JPG
It looks identical to the Wells & Webb Antique Light Face, from 1854, shown in Kelly on page 109. But that showing only has the letters “MONTHS”.
The “Antiques” in the 1895 Heber Wells catalogue (David Peat’s reproduction, pages 61 - 68) are similar, but none are the same. Closest is the Antique Light Face No. 315. But the serifs on your font are shorter than the 315, the toe of the R curled tighter, and the T definitely narrower.
Kelly doesn’t show any Heber Wells stamps on pages 61 - 62, so no dating help from that.
It may, then, go back to Wells & Webb, have been carried on by Vanderburgh & Wells and Heber Wells, and dropped by Heber before 1895—perhaps at the time of the move in 1894. Or maybe Heber just decided he didn’t have room for it in that particular catalogue.
Others will likely shed more light on this.