Advertisement, Nickerson & Bro. Hats (1897)

Advertisement, Nickerson & Bro. Hats (1897)

1897

419 Cooper Street

63 N. Second Street, Philadelphia

Robert S. Nickerson

During the 1880s and 1890s a Philadelphia manufacturer of silk and wool hats, Robert S. Nickerson, resided at 419 Cooper Street with his wife Elizabeth and adult daughter Jennie Gay while commuting to his business across the river at 63 N. Second Street. The move marked a significant change for Nickerson, whose business had been operating in Philadelphia since 1836. But during the 1880s, Camden was growing rapidly and houses near the Delaware River waterfront offered attractive prices and easy access to the ferries. The sometimes-frantic nature of ferry commuting is suggested by a report in the Camden Morning Post on May 26, 1888, which described Nickerson attempting to leap onto a ferry departing from Philadelphia while clutching an umbrella and bottle of pickles. He ended up in the river, still clutching his possessions when rescued.

This advertisement was published in the trade magazine The American Hatter in August 1897, around the time the Nickersons moved from Cooper Street to another Camden address. The ad documents the duration of the Nickerson business, since 1836, and its production of silk and cassimere (wool) hats.

The American Hatter, Vol. 27 (August 1897), p. 62. Google Books.

Charlene Mires

Charlene Mires