Most people have heard about Wallace Nutting’s hand-colored pictures… many people are aware of the nearly 20 books that Nutting authored… and an increasing number of collectors are developing an understanding about Nutting’s bench-made reproduction furniture. But as the demand for each of these areas has increased over the past several years, and as the prices of certain Nutting items have moved beyond what some individuals are willing to pay, an increasing number of Nutting collectors have started searching out Wallace Nutting Memorabilia.
What constitutes Wallace Nutting Memorabilia? Quite simply, anything related to Wallace Nutting that is:
1) NOT a hand-colored or black & white platinotype picture
2) NOT one of the 20 different books that he published,
3) NOT his reproduction furniture…
…would be classified as Wallace Nutting Memorabilia.
Although most serious collectors will recognize Nutting Memorabilia when they see it, many are surprised at the wide variety of Nutting Memorabilia that is still readily available to collect. In this article we’ll be discussing Wallace Nutting Ads and Advertising Literature.
OLD SALES LITERATURE, ADVERTISING, AND ARTICLES: One of the least expensive areas of Nutting Memorabilia is in the ephemera area, i.e., paper. Some examples include:
• Magazine Advertisements: Wallace Nutting frequently advertised his pictures, books, and furniture in various magazines, newspapers, and periodicals. For example, The Magazine Antiques regularly contained different ads for Nutting’s bench-made furniture reproductions during the 1920’s-30’s. Many collectors have been gathering as many different advertisements as they can locate.
• Sales Literature: Over the years, Nutting frequently put together flyers and sales pieces promoting his pictures, books, furniture…and himself. Any advertising pieces promoting Nutting and his businesses are quite collectible.
• Advertising Signs: There are basically two types of signs. Glass Advertising Signs are quite rare because of their fragile nature. We have only sold a few of these over the years and they can command a very strong price if in good condition.
• Paper Advertising Signs: These typically either promoted his products, or announced Nutting’s appearance at a specific time and location. Although not as expensive as Glass Signs, Paper Advertising Signs can still command a very good price with collectors.
• Articles About Wallace Nutting: Articles were appearing about Nutting quite early in his career, and continue appearing in different Newspapers, Trade Papers, Magazines, and Periodicals even as we speak. Many Nutting enthusiasts enjoy collecting as many different original articles as they can find. One Nutting collector has even published an extensive bibliography listing the date and source of every Nutting article he has been able to locate.
This article on Wallace Nutting Memorabilia covers just one of a wide variety of Nutting items that are currently being collected by collectors around the country. If I can leave you with this one thought, it would be this: “If it pertains to Wallace Nutting, it will be desirable to Nutting collectors.”