A partial collection of people, places and events that have made
Chesapeake City the unique and desirable location that it has become today.
Billhead
Billhead evolved from what was known as a "Trade Card," and
in the twentieth Century, became known as letterhead. It was created by
printing a heading at the top of a sheet of paper, usually from an engraved
copper plate. The lower part of the sheet was used for writing a list, a note,
or a bill. The standard billhead measured seven to eight inches wide, and four
inches or more in length, depending on the need for space for writing the bill.
The printed heading usually included an illustration, and sometimes a street
address or location of the business. They also included space to write the date
and town where the business transaction took place. They were printed on durable
rag paper until the 1860's and 1870's after which they were printed on thinner
woodpulp paper. In general, billheads of this style were in use and remained
relatively the same for approximately a 150 year time frame, over three
centuries. As historical artifacts, billheads are useful for providing
information about tradesmen's products and prices. They help document the types
of goods and services that consumers were purchasing. Source: American Antiquarian Society
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more to follow..................