Antique Victorian Silhouette Trade Card Gems of...

Updated September 26, 2026

This auction ended on September 29, 2026. See upcoming auctions from Period Americana or current antiques & furniture auctions.
Lot number28
Estimate15.00 - 30.00 USD
CategoryAntiques & Furniture
AuctionSale 260929
DateSeptember 29, 2026 at 10:00 PM EDT
Auction housePeriod Americana
LocationBoston, Massachusetts

the Seaside Oyster House Charlestown. This scarce late 19th-century Victorian silhouette trade card features a humorous seaside illustration titled "GEMS OF THE SEASIDE," depicting two Victorian women in bathing attire on a beach, with one seated pulling up her striped stockings alongside an artist-initialed "NBY" plate mark. Printed beneath the graphic is a prominent business advertisement for "J. B. ALEXANDER, OYSTER HOUSE AND RESTAURANT, 165 Bunker Hill Street, Charlestown, Mass. Meals at all hours." Featuring risqué period seaside humor and explicit local ties to historical Bunker Hill Street, this card holds strong cross-over appeal for collectors of Victorian trade cards, Massachusetts regional advertising, restaurant ephemera, and early graphic art. Issued for J. B. Alexander Oyster House & Restaurant (Charlestown, MA), estimated c. 1880s–1890s, woodcut/lithograph printed ink on cardstock, captioned "GEMS OF THE SEASIDE" with full local venue typography, measures standard trade card size approximately 2.75 x 4.5 inches. Shows expected signs of age including light surface toning along the left margin, minor edge rubbing, and faint corner softening, though the central graphic and typography remain bold, sharp, and fully legible; no major tears, heavy creases, or pinholes observed. See photos for close-up details.

Antique Victorian Silhouette Trade Card Gems of...

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