Trade card for J. & P. Coats' spool cotton

trade card

Trade card for J. & P. Coats' spool cotton; color lithograph illustration based on the trans-Atlantic voyage of the obelisk called "Cleopatra's Needle" from Egypt to New York in 1880 with spools of cotton and sailboat towing it by cotton thread; printed on front "J. & P. COATS' Best Six-Cord/ SPOOL COTTON/ AND/ CLEOPATRA'S NEEDLE" and "THE GREATEST THREAD AND NEEDLE IN THE WORLD"; handwritten on back in pencil "LA169" and "[$]8.00". F. Calabretta notes: Sailing vessel hauling barge, thread used for tow line. Ships frequently appear in advertisement for thread, as seen here. This illustration suggests J. & P. Coats' thread is so strong it easily tows this loaded barge.