I’ve long been fascinated by the association between bees and woodworkers (and other laborers). Images of bees and skeps (early beehives) show up frequently on books and other ephemera related to woodworkers in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
This week I stumbled on an enchanting 1905 image from the billhead of Bittner, Hunsicker & Co. The Allentown, Pa., company made hoisery, knit goods and overalls. Thanks to the power of ebay.com, I found two original billheads for sale and purchased them.
The above is the result of a high-resolution scan and some clean-up work in Photoshop. I like it so much I think we’ll make it part of a sticker set. Details to come as soon as they are available. So never despair.
— Christopher Schwarz