ITEM DESCRIPTION
Charming early 20th-century “Northampton, MASS. in a Nut Shell” novelty souvenir comprised of two drilled walnut shell halves, a red ribboned Dennison tag printed in bold type, and a tiny accordion-fold strip of halftone views. The foldout presents about a dozen miniature scenes of Northampton and the Pioneer Valley, including repeated views of Smith College, the R.R. Station, Main St., Bridge St & Norwood Hotel, Forbes Library, Commercial College / Post Office, Edwards Congregational Church, and distant prospects of Mt. Tom and Mount Holyoke. These “in a nutshell” souvenirs were popular campus-town and resort curios from roughly the 1890s–1910s: the tag on this example bears a green 1¢ Franklin stamp and a handwritten address, consistent with an early 1910s mailing period, and the metal-reinforced eyelet shows the classic Dennison “QUALITY” ring.
Physical condition shows expected age and handling. Walnut shells present as two separate halves, each with small factory/hand punch holes for threading; surfaces exhibit natural roughness, scattered small pressure marks, and light soil. Red ribbon survives, frayed at the tail. Printed tag shows soft creases, short edge nicks, small corner loss at one end, moisture tide marks, toning, and postal wear; handwriting remains legible though partly smudged. Miniature foldout is complete to numerous panels but is split into two pieces and shows waviness, general toning, scattered foxing spots, corner rounding, small stains, and typical stress at the hinges with a couple of short splits and minor edge chips near the terminal panels; the strip is now loose from the shells.
Overall a well-handled yet appealing survivor of a fragile ephemeral form, offering an uncommon grouping of Northampton landmarks in micro-view.
Make sure to see the photos above for complete details.
KEYWORDS
Northampton Mass, Northampton Massachusetts, Hampshire County, Pioneer Valley, Connecticut River Valley, Smith College, women’s college history, Main Street Northampton, Bridge Street Northampton, Norwood Hotel, railroad station Northampton, Edwards Congregational Church, Forbes Library, Commercial College Post Office, Mt Tom, Mount Holyoke, Holyoke Range, campus souvenir, college town ephemera, novelty souvenir, in a nutshell, walnut shell souvenir, miniature photo strip, accordion fold views, foldout panorama, halftone miniatures, Dennison tag, red ribbon, Washington-Franklin 1 cent stamp, mailed souvenir, early 1900s ephemera, 1910s ephemera, Victorian Edwardian novelty, micro photo views, tourist trinket, New England history, Massachusetts history, Northampton landmarks, antique miniature, advertising novelty, postal history, mailed tag, collectible curio, campus memorabilia, Pioneer Valley history, rare Northampton souvenir, early photography halftone, accordion booklet miniature, small format ephemera, local history collectible, pre-war souvenir, Americana
