Schnull-Krag Coffee Company trade cards
Collection — Folder: S2547
Identifier: S2547
Scope and Contents
This collection includes thirteen trade cards from the Schnull-Krag Coffee Company of Indianapolis, Indiana (circa 1880s). Varying in size, most of the cards promote the company's Standard Coffee, touting it as the "Best Package Coffee on Earth." Two cards of special note have pictures of ladies in formal gowns, wearing white gloves and holding fans and were used to promote the company's "High Grade Windsor Mocha and Java" and "Best Java" coffees.
Dates
- circa 1880s
Creator
- Schnull-Krag Coffee Company (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Biographical / Historical
Henry Schnull was born December 26, 1833 at Hausberge in the province of Westphalia, Germany. He immigrated to the United States when he was 18 years old and arrived in Indianapolis in 1852. He worked various jobs before becoming a partner in his first grocery store in 1855. Following several years of successful enterprise in the grocery wholesale business, he sold out in 1865. The following year, he founded the Merchants’ National Bank and served as its first president. In 1868, he returned to the wholesale grocery business, partnering with Henry Severin and Bergen Applegate. He sold his interest in this business in 1872, bought a hotel, and then entered the grocery trade again when he bought interest in the firm of Over & Krag. Partnering with William A. Krag and operating under the name Schnull & Krag, the company was a wholesale grocery, a coffee company, and cigar business. By the end of 1888, William Krag had left the business and the company continued as Schnull & Company. Mr. Schnull, a pioneer merchant of Indianapolis who was referred to as the “father of the wholesale district,” passed away at the age of 71 on November 4, 1905.
William A. Krag was born in Ohio in 1843 and began in the grocery business in 1861. After leaving Schnull & Krag, he purchased another Indianapolis wholesale grocery, A.B. Gates & Company, in 1894 and operated it under the name Krag-Reynolds Company along with Charles M. Reynolds and his son William Wallace Krag. He later moved to Boston, Massachusetts, then to San Francisco, California, where he passed away on June 30, 1909.
Sources:
Dunn, Jacob Piatt, ed. Memorial Record of Distinguished Men of Indianapolis and Indiana. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1912.
“Indianapolis, Dec. 26, 1888.” Indianapolis Journal (IN), December 20, 1888.
“Life of Pioneer Merchant Ended.” Indianapolis Star (IN), November 5, 1905.
“Once in Business Here, Dies in West.” Indianapolis Star (IN), July 2, 1909.
“The Krag-Reynolds Company.” Indianapolis News (IN), December 6, 1894.
William A. Krag was born in Ohio in 1843 and began in the grocery business in 1861. After leaving Schnull & Krag, he purchased another Indianapolis wholesale grocery, A.B. Gates & Company, in 1894 and operated it under the name Krag-Reynolds Company along with Charles M. Reynolds and his son William Wallace Krag. He later moved to Boston, Massachusetts, then to San Francisco, California, where he passed away on June 30, 1909.
Sources:
Dunn, Jacob Piatt, ed. Memorial Record of Distinguished Men of Indianapolis and Indiana. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1912.
“Indianapolis, Dec. 26, 1888.” Indianapolis Journal (IN), December 20, 1888.
“Life of Pioneer Merchant Ended.” Indianapolis Star (IN), November 5, 1905.
“Once in Business Here, Dies in West.” Indianapolis Star (IN), July 2, 1909.
“The Krag-Reynolds Company.” Indianapolis News (IN), December 6, 1894.
Extent
0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by size of trade card.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from multiple donors, including the Wyoming State Archives on 1998/11/17.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2019/03/01 by Laura Eliason. EAD finding aid created 2019/03/01 by Laura Eliason.
Creator
- Schnull-Krag Coffee Company (Organization)
- Title
- Schnull-Krag Coffee Company trade cards
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
