Business from Main Street Fine Books & Manuscripts, ABAA

The son of Pabst Brewing Company founder Frederick Pabst became president of this Milwaukee firm upon his father's death in 1904 and remained so until 1921, when he branched into real estate and many other business and civil endeavors. TDS, 3pp, 8" X 13" (stapled into 8½" X 14½" heavy stock folder), Milwaukee, WI, 1 April 1900. Very good.… Read more about this item

The finest of the fine arts auctioneers was Sir Alec, who began as an office boy at Christie's in London in 1897, by 1930 had become partner and by 1940 was managing partner, leading that firm as chairman until 1958. TLS, 5" X 8" (both sides), London, England, 11 December 1952. Addressed to Pauline Spender Clay. Very good. Faintly… Read more about this item

The pipe-smoking, pajama-clad magazine publisher founded "Playboy" magazine in 1953 and turned it into an empire. Color PS, 27½" X 36, n.p., n.y. Very good. Very good. Single horizontal fold (as issued); mild overall wear. Glossy color poster for the documentary "Hugh Hefner Once Upon a Time," a 1992 Lynch/Frost Production narrated by James Coburn Huge portrait of a… Read more about this item

This member of the famed banking firm Robert Garrett and Sons founded by his grandfather was a Baltimore civil leader and philanthropist; as a railroad executive, he served as president (1884-87) of the distinguished Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, oldest railroad in the U.S, and first passenger line. Bold "Yours very sincerely / Robert Garret / Prest." in brown ink… Read more about this item

The uncle of Henry E. Huntington (of Huntington Library fame) was a powerhouse industrialist and railroad magnate, one of the "Big Four" of western railroading who helped build the Central Pacific Railroad, the first U.S. transcontinental railroad. Large and bold signature in black ink beneath "Yours truly" (in different hand) on a 4½" X 1¼" slip, n.p., n.y. Very… Read more about this item

This noted civil engineer rose up from the bottom rung of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, joining as a young man and eventually becoming vice president and general manager; in 1893 the ailing railroad named someone else as president, at which time he wisely resigned and became president of the Mexican Central Railway. Typical "A.A. Robinson" signature… Read more about this item

Sir Joseph " (he was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1890) was a famed Canadian Railroad executive who served as president of the Grant Trunk Railway Company of Canada. Bold "J. Hickson in blank ink on an irregular-shaped 3" X 2½" slip (lower left corner cropped) with (in another hand) "Yours truly" above and "General Manager" below. Very good.… Read more about this item

This legendary railroad man, philanthropist and politician is remembered as president of the Chicago and Alton Railroad (1864-99) and a founding president of the Union Stock Yards; among the many things named for him is Chicago's noted Blackstone Hotel. Enormous "Very Truly Yours / T.B. Blackstone / Pres" in brown ink on a 6" X 2 3/4" slip, n.y.,… Read more about this item

This mysterious railroad executive about whom little is known was affiliated with the Oregon & Transcontinental and a couple of Indiana rail lines, but is most often remembered as president of the St. Paul and Northern Pacific Railway, which in 1896 morphed into Northern Pacific Railway. Bold "Yours Truly / Elihah Smith" in brown ink on a 3½" X… Read more about this item

This American publisher founded a pornography empire with "Hustler" magazine in 1974 -- which also made him a controversial First Amendment rights figure and with it a 1978 assassination attempt that left him paralyzed and in a wheelchair. Heavy stock 5" X 3" card, the right of which has a 1 3/4" X 2 3/4" glossy head-and-shoulders color magazine… Read more about this item

Colonel" McCormick was the legendary editor and publisher of the "Chicago Tribune" (1920-55); Green was the 30th governor (Republican) of Illinois, serving from 1941 to 1949; and Kelly was the powerful Democratic mayor of Chicago, serving from 1933 to 1947. On the blank verso of a heavy stock 4" X 4 3/4" card bearing a printed line drawing of… Read more about this item

This newspaper columnist founded an influential syndication service that handled authors (Robert Ripley, Eddie Guest and Thornton Burgess among them) and popular comic strips, and his own syndicated inspirational essays were often published in book form. PS, 4" X 5", n.p., n.y. Very good. Signature faintly smudged; two tape stains on verso. Glossy head-and-shoulders portrait of a smiling older… Read more about this item

Uniroyal exists today thanks to this Rhode Island industrialist, who in 1887 took a floundering rubber company, reshaped and merged it into the United States Rubber Company, largest producer of rubber goods in the world. Large, bold signature in brown ink on an irregular (corner clipped) 4" X 2" slip bearing a blue-typed "Very truly yours" at upper left.… Read more about this item

This New Hampshire railroad magnate earned the name "robber baron" for such tactics as cheating one Native American tribe from New York out of 10,000 acres he need and other unsavory actions. Closing portion of a Letter Signed, 5" X 2 3/4", n.p., n.d. Very good. A bit age toned, with left edge quite irregular. Nicely penned in brown… Read more about this item

Just as in the U.S. a one-dollar bill may be refered to as a "greenback," "buck," "clam" or other synonyms, in England a bank note used to be called "an Abraham Newland" -- for this British banker and investor personified money as Chief Cashier of the Bank of England (1782-1807) and his facsimile signature had to appear on every… Read more about this item

This grandson of influential newspaper publisher and "New York Times" owner Adolph S. Ochs (1858-1935) was likewise publisher and chairman of the board of that renowned newspaper. Incredibly tiny business card, 2½" X 1¼" citing him as Chairman of the Board and Publisher of "The New York Times," n.p., n.y. Fine. Above his printed name Sulzberger boldly pens "with… Read more about this item

This versatile powerhouse American businessman (he was at various times in charge of behemoths as diverse as Boeing, Time, Abercombie & Fitch, New York Trust Company, Union Pacific and others) parlayed his World War One service as naval aviator into the influential position of Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Air and oversaw naval aviation during World War Two,… Read more about this item

The publisher of the "Chicago Daily News" (from 1931) showed his versatility when he became a Republican presidential candidate briefly in 1936 and accepted FDR's appointment as Secretary of the Navy in 1940. TLS, 1p, 8" X 10½", Washington, DC, 1943 March 14. Addressed to Rose Bigman. Very good. Faintly age toned, with inoffensive staple hole at upper left.… Read more about this item

This Boston businessman was partner in the firm of Winslow, Rand & Co. Wholesale Grocers. ALS, 1p, 8" X 10½", Boston, MA, 23 December 1881. Addressed to "Friend Nutter." Very good. Original folds; single archivally closed (on verso) edge tear. On imprinted company letterhead listing the four principal officers, Watson comments interestingly on the use of soap: "I shall… Read more about this item

In 1929 this young writer and editor, who'd already founded the famed Breadloaf Writers' Conference in 1926, joined forces with the two sons of bestselling novelist Mary Roberts Rinehart to found the publishing firm Farrar & Rinehart; after World War Two he then founded Farrar, Straus & Giroux. TNS, 1p, 5½" X 8½", New York, NY, 17 February 1941.… Read more about this item