Rare 1904 Pettibone Bros. Uniform & Livery Archive — George W. Casey — Elks Opera House — Leadville, Colorado
Offered here is an unusual original group of Pettibone Bros. Mfg. Co. uniform and livery material sent to George W. Casey, documented manager of the historic Elks Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.
The collection includes original 1904 correspondence, Pettibone catalogs and booklets, the original mailing envelope and numerous surviving Pettibone-labeled uniform cloth samples.
These pieces have remained together as part of a larger collection of business correspondence and materials preserved from the Opera House.
1904 Letter to George W. Casey
Included is an original August 20, 1904 letter from The Pettibone Bros. Mfg. Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio, addressed to:
Mr. G. W. Casey
Leadville, Colo.
The elaborate illustrated letterhead identifies Pettibone Bros. as manufacturers and contractors for military goods, uniforms, regalia and lodge supplies, fraternity and band publications, and related goods.
This was not simply an advertising letter.
Pettibone was responding directly to Casey’s earlier inquiry and states that it was enclosing “a sample of purple cloth” from which the company could make a coat. The correspondence also discusses a cap, popular coat and cap patterns, and quotes $10.00 for the coat and cap.
The letter is initialed “D.W.O.”
Of particular interest, D. W. O’Neil is listed on the same Pettibone letterhead as one of the company’s directors, connecting the initials at the bottom of Casey’s correspondence directly with Pettibone’s corporate leadership.
Original Elks Opera House Mailing Envelope
The original Pettibone Bros. mailing envelope has also survived.
It is addressed to:
Mr. G. W. Casey
Leadville, Colo.
and bears the handwritten notation:
“Elks Opera House”
The envelope retains its original postage/cancellation and substantial evidence of its age and use.
George W. Casey & the Elks Opera House
George W. Casey is historically documented as manager of Leadville’s Elks Opera House.
The Leadville Elks acquired the former Tabor Opera House in 1901. Casey was involved with the Elks during this period and subsequently managed the Opera House.
This makes the correspondence more than simply material mailed to a Leadville resident: it is surviving business material associated with the management and operation of one of Leadville’s best-known historic buildings.
Pettibone Catalogue No. 307 — Liveries
Included is the striking illustrated blue:
The Pettibone Bros. Mfg. Co.
Catalogue No. 307
Liveries
Cincinnati, U.S.A.
The catalog features elaborate period graphics depicting the types of military, fraternal and uniform goods for which Pettibone was known.
Front and back covers and interior details are shown in the photographs.
Uniforms & Liveries Sample Card
Also included is:
Sample Card No. 4
Uniforms and Liveries
for Hotel and Club Employes
The piece includes an illustration of a uniformed employee and identifies Pettibone Bros. as Manufacturers of Uniforms and Equipments of All Kinds.
Pettibone Measurements Booklet
The original Pettibone Measurements booklet is also included.
It advertises uniforms for:
as well as military and college equipment and band trappings and ornamentation.
Original Pettibone Uniform Cloth Samples
A particularly appealing part of this archive is the surviving group of original uniform fabric samples.
Numerous samples retain their original printed labels reading:
THE PETTIBONE BROS. M’F’G CO.
Cincinnati, Ohio
with handwritten fabric/color information.
The surviving samples include shades of maroon, blue, green, brown/tan and red, among others. Several labels can be read clearly in the close-up photographs.
These are genuine period textile samples preserved with the Pettibone material—not modern reproductions.
Provenance
This material comes from a larger collection of early business correspondence and related items associated with George W. Casey and the Elks Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.
The materials were left behind in the Opera House and preserved by my grandmother after the building passed from the Elks to my family. They have remained in the family since.
This listing contains the Pettibone Bros. group only. Other George W. Casey/Elks Opera House correspondence and materials from other companies are being offered separately rather than combining the entire archive into one large lot.
This allows collectors interested specifically in Pettibone, uniforms, fraternal history, Leadville or theater history to acquire an individual documented portion of the collection.
An Unusual Survivor
Early Pettibone catalogs and individual pieces survive, but this group is especially interesting because the components retain their original historical relationship:
1904 dated correspondence + named recipient + Elks Opera House envelope + catalogs + measurement material + original labeled uniform samples.
Together they provide a glimpse into the type of uniform purchasing and correspondence being handled by the manager of the Elks Opera House in Leadville at the beginning of the 20th century.
An excellent addition to a collection of:
Leadville, Colorado history • Tabor/Elks Opera House memorabilia • Pettibone Bros. • Elks and fraternal history • antique uniforms • military and band uniforms • hotel and club liveries • antique textiles • early advertising • trade catalogs • Colorado ephemera
Everything pictured is included. Sold together as one collection.
Please examine all photographs carefully, as they are an important part of the description. Additional photographs are available upon request.
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