C.D. Cobb & Bros. Advertising Magazine.

Abstract

This is a curious circular put together apparently by a store with a main location and three branches in Boston and further branches in Westboro and Fitchburg. This 32-page stapled pamphlet combines various advertisements with vocal music, instrumental music, needlework companion, drawing lessons, and texts of fables. The fables, each with a moral, start on 7 and continue on every odd-numbered page through 29. There are no illustrations for the fables. I cannot find an easy match of the texts with a well-known set of fables. The surprise of this magazine for me is that its advertisements are for other merchants! An advertisement on 26 includes some claims with dates; it is from those 1881 dates that I guess that the magazine appeared that same year.