American Tract Society printed advertising cover, ca. 1860

Addressed to T. P. Richards in Bath, Steuben Co, NY and forwarded to Mitchell[s]ville. No contents. 3 x 5.5 inches. Small stamp to verso, suspected to be a collector's monogram. With 150 Nassau Street return address--the firm moved there in 1848. The move to a larger premises enabled ATS to undertake in-house printing that resulted in a proliferation of styles, including the development of colorful wrappers and illustrations to earn the new tagline "Beautiful and Useful Books" (and compete in an increasingly crowded market of illustrated juvenile literature).

Very nice bit of printing and philatelic ephemera, with a three-cent perforated Washington postage stamp--obscured by the cancel, but nevertheless uncommon, as well as the "forwarded" markings. Printed in fine pin-striping associated with "security paper," with "Beautiful and Useful Books" appearing broadly across the envelope in negative, a subtle advertising cover.