Coshocton is the birthplace of advertising art, but what's the history?

Leonard L. Hayhurst, Coshocton Tribune

COSHOCTON − For many years, the City of Coshocton was the nation’s leading manufacturer of advertising art, shipping products worldwide. That history is being honored with a special display at the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum, 300 N. Whitewoman St.

The special exhibit running to the end of the year features items from the personal collections of Joe Kreitzer and William Carlisle, who have been collecting for close to 45 years. The exhibit is sponsored by Auer Ace Hardware and the Ohio Arts Council. Items range from the birth of the industry in the 1890s to when it started to die out locally in the 1950s.

Joe Kreitzer points out items and talks about the history of specialty advertising in Coshocton from its origins in the 1880s when the industry started to die out in the 1950s. The special exhibit is on display through the end of the year at the Johnson Humrickhouse Museum.
Joe Kreitzer points out items and talks about the history of specialty advertising in Coshocton from its origins in the 1880s when the industry started to die out in the 1950s. The special exhibit is on display through the end of the year at the Johnson Humrickhouse Museum.

Lithographs on tin and paper, signs of every description, trays, calendars and celluloid novelties advertised every kind of business. This often included breweries, soft drink manufacturers, ice cream factories, tobacco companies and distilleries. Considered the birth-place of advertising art, Coshocton was once second only to New York City in the number of artists residing in town compared to the rest of the country.

The exhibition includes pieces from Tuscarora Advertising Co., Standard Advertising Co., The Novelty Advertising Co., Meek & Beach Co., The American Art Works, W.F. Smith Co., and more.

Visitors to the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum look at specialty advertising items in a case in the second floor special exhibit gallery prior to a presentation on the exhibit by Joe Kreitzer.
Visitors to the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum look at specialty advertising items in a case in the second floor special exhibit gallery prior to a presentation on the exhibit by Joe Kreitzer.

The origins of advertising art

Kreitzer recently gave a museum talk, which included him going around the exhibition room and pointing out items as he reviewed the history of advertising art locally from it origins to the end of the era.

In 1887, Jasper F. Meek printed an ad for Cantwell Shoes, owned by William Cantwell, on a burlap bag for school children to carry books in. One of the sacks is on display near the museum's front door.

"Cantwell is documented as being the very first one to place an order for specialty advertising. And that's not just blowing a whistle for people in Coshocton. There's a national association in New York City with hundreds and hundreds of members that deals in specialty advertising...and that national association gives credit to Coshocton for being the birthplace," Kreitzer said. "At one point, in their literature, they said 'those boys in Coshocton would print advertising on a fence post if they could figure out how to run it through their presses.'"

Meek owned the Coshocton Age newspaper and eventually sold it to focus on specialty advertising, forming the Tuscora Advertising Co. Henry D. Beach owned another newspaper in town, the Democratic Standard, and started his own advertising printing company after seeing how well Meek was doing.

"He saw the success Jasper Meek had and it wasn't long before he jumped into the fray. It wasn't long before he had so many orders, he sold his newspaper. He retained half the name of it and called his venture The Standard Advertising Company," Kreitzer related.

Joe Kreitzer points out items and talks about the history of specialty advertising in Coshocton from its origins in the 1880s when the industry started to die out in the 1950s. The special exhibit is on display through the end of the year at the Johnson Humrickhouse Museum.
Joe Kreitzer points out items and talks about the history of specialty advertising in Coshocton from its origins in the 1880s when the industry started to die out in the 1950s. The special exhibit is on display through the end of the year at the Johnson Humrickhouse Museum.

Other companies followed on their heels and Meek and Beach even joined forces for a short time. The Meek and Beach Company was created in April 1901 and only lasted six months. Kreitzer said this was due to Meek and Beach disagreeing on what they wanted to sell and the quality of products. Beach sold out to Meek and then bought a company in New York.

Beach eventually moved it local and constructed a building in the 1300 block of Walnut Street, that eventually became the Ansell-Edmont glove factory. He went from printing on metal to other materials, like leather for wallets and luggage tags.

"Beach continuing to innovate, in 1905, he patented the Vienna Art Plate. That was a good thing," Kreitzer stated. "Meek, watching Beech, the following year, he patented his, slightly different so he could get a patent. He called his the Dresden Art Plate."

Joe Kreitzer points out items and talks about the history of specialty advertising in Coshocton from its origins in the 1880s when the industry started to die out in the 1950s. The special exhibit is on display through the end of the year at the Johnson Humrickhouse Museum.
Joe Kreitzer points out items and talks about the history of specialty advertising in Coshocton from its origins in the 1880s when the industry started to die out in the 1950s. The special exhibit is on display through the end of the year at the Johnson Humrickhouse Museum.

Meek retired in 1908 and died in 1918. His company became American Art Works in 1910 and lasted until 1963. The Beach Company still exists today with a factory on South Second Street and makes M-Line Commercial Calendars.

The museum is open from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday with free admission on Sundays for Coshocton County residents. Museum admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children and $15 for families. For more information, contact the museum at 740-622-8710 or go to jhmuseum@jhmuseum.org.

Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @llhayhurst.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Museum exhibit pays tribute to Coshocton's advertising past

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