[Henry Stone & Son, Victorian stationer and box manufacturer.] Eighteen items of business ephemera [printed for the firm by Cheney & Sons, Banbury], including five illustrated trade lists, display cards, advertisement handbill, letterheads.

The Victoria County History volume for the County of Oxford, Banbury Hundred, describes the firm of Stone & Son as an 'important firm [...] founded by Henry Stone, a Banbury bookseller, who in 1871 started to manufacture a patent letter-filing box invented by his brother-in-law, John Cash of Coventry; first the business developed into general cabinet-making and cardboard-box manufacture, then into high-grade colour printing, and finally into fine-art reproduction. The expansion of the firm occurred particularly under Lewis Stone, the founder's son, who took over its management about 1882; a factory at Gatteridge Street, for the cabinet-making, was opened in 1883 and that at Swan Close, for the printing, before 1915. The firm, which in 1899 became a limited company named Henry Stone & Son Ltd., still operated both branches of the business in 1969.' The eighteen attractive items of booktrade ephemera in the present collection are all in very good condition, lightly-aged. The printers' details are not given, but rather than having been printed by Stone & Son, the items are from the archive of Cheney & Sons, 'General, Commercial & Artistic Printers, Banbury'. (John Cheney's calling card describes him as a 'Printer in Gold, Silver, and Colours', with 'Specialities in the best class of work.') For more about the firm see 'John Cheney and his descendants, printers in Banbury since 1767' (1936) and the same Victoria County History volume. ONE to FOUR: Four trade lists, each 4pp., 4to, and each illustrated with engravings. The first (larger than the others) with first page headed 'Trade List. | Stone's New Series of Patent | "Popular" Index Cabinets.' The second printed in blue on blue paper, with the first page headed 'TRADE LIST. | Stone's Novelties for the Season.' The third printed in brown on cream paper, with first page headed 'Novel and Handsome Presents'. The fourth printed in blue on white paper, with the first page carrying an illustrated advertisement for 'Stone's Patent "Referee" Cabinet Letter File'. FIVE: Notice by 'Henry Stone, Banbury. | London: 9, Rose Street, Newgate Street, E.C.', headed 'To the Members of | The Stationery Trade.' Dated October 1883. 3pp., 8vo. Bifolium. Begins: 'Gentlemen, | Allow me once more to draw your attention to my Stationers' Stock Cabinets, which are invaluable to all who appreciate a tidy shop, and who are alive to the importance of avoiding damaged stock.' Includes long list, in two columns, of 'Letterings kept in Stock'. SIX to NINE. Four tasteful display cards. Uniformly printed in brown ink on pieces of 13 x 18cm cream card. Advertising: 'Stone's "Mozart" Cabinet for Music. | With Stone's Patent Swing Front Drawers.', 'Stone's "Referee" Cabinet Letter File.'; 'Stone's "Popular" Cabinet. | Useful for Private Papers and for a variety of purposes.'; and 'Stone's Card Catalogue Cabinet. | A perfect Alphabetical Index.' TEN: Advertising leaf for 'The "Mozart" Music Cabinet', headed 'NOVEL, HANDSOME, USEFUL.' 1p., landscape 8vo. On shiny art paper. Tastefully designed in light and dark blue, with decorative borders and engraved illustration. ELEVEN: Display card, tastefully printed in red on one side of a piece of 19 x 14 cm yellow card, for 'Cabinet for the Toilet Table etc. | A very useful Christmas or Birthday Present. | Price [blank]'. TWELVE: Display card, printed in green on 20 x 15 cm white card, for 'The "Shamrock" Reading Stand' ('Strong enough for the heaviest Books. [...] These READING STANDS are suitable for all books, music, drawing copies, &c., and will be found invaluable in Schools, Restaurants, Reading Rooms, &c.'). Tastefully laid out, within a decorative border, with an engraving of the object. THIRTEEN: Leaflet (4pp., 8vo, bifolium) advertising 'Stone's Patent Drawer Boxes, for stationery stock. Patented 1886.' Printed in blue and with three engravings. FOURTEEN to SIXTEEN: Three letterheads, two of them printed in brown on 4to paper, one dated to the 1880s and the other to the 1890s; the third 1p., landscape 8vo, dated to the 1890s. SEVENTEEN: Billhead (1p., landscape 8vo) printed in brown. 'Dr. to Henry Stone & Son. | Packing Cases allowed Full Price, if returned Carriage Paid, and in good condition.' EIGHTEEN: Credit note (1p., landscape 8vo). Printed in red: 'Credit with HENRY STONE AND SON, | Manufacturers of Stone's Patent Boxes, Patent Index Letter Files, | Stone's World's Files, Solicitors' Patent Form Cases, Pigeon Holes, Stock Boxes and Cabinets, &c. | Estimates given for all kinds of Cloth and Paper Boxes.'