1927 Arnold Printing Company Sampler w/ Map of Florida

This is a rare c. 1927 Arnold Printing Company letterhead sampler that features a map of peninsular Florida created as letterhead for the Braswell Realty Company.

A Closer Look

Four sample letterheads adorn the recto. From top to bottom: Rhodes-Futch-Collins Furniture Company, the Arnold Printing Company, the Three Friends Furniture Company, and the Braswell Realty Company. The design for the Braswell Realty Company is a map of southern Florida, illustrating the peninsula from Jacksonville south to Key West. St. Augustine, Palatka, Daytona, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, Miami, Lakeland, Tampa, and Fort Myers are all illustrated and labeled. The Florida East Coast Railway and the Cross State Highway appear as well. Three ships are illustrated entering Fort Pierce's harbor from the Atlantic. A beautiful four-color lithograph of the tower of the LaGiralda Cathedral in Seville, Spain, adorns the verso.

The Arnold Printing Company (c. 1910 - c. 1939)

The Arnold Printing Company was founded by Robertson Tanner Arnold (July 12, 1881 - May 28, 1957) c. 1910. The printing house operated until c. 1939 when it ran afoul of one of a mortgage company. Arnold reappeared in 1941 as the president of the Arnold Printing and Label Company, which operated until at least 1961, four years after Robertson T. Arnold's death. We have not found any records of who took over the firm or when Robertson Arnold retired.

Publication History and Census

This letterhead sampler sheet was engraved by the Respess-Johnson Engraving Company and printed and published by the Arnold Printing Company c. 1927. Ephemera associated with printing companies is rare and accordingly, this is the only known example.