1916 Everybody's origins uncovered-- thanks Jason!

[nolemmings]

I am more than pleased to report that I have located the source for the m101-4 cards with Everybody’s backs– it was a department store in El Paso, Texas. I also found the date of initial distribution–April 22, 1916. Here is an ad from the April 28, 1916 El Paso Herald:


Here's a card:

[sbfinley]

Great find. Was it previously known that these originated in the Southwest or was this a blind discovery?

[nolemmings]

Steve,

Collector Paul Kauf.man gave me info many years ago that showed a department store of the same name formed in Ft. Worth, but that could not have originated until 1918 at the earliest and more likely in the 1920's. I do not believe the El Paso store, which seems to have existed only in 1915 and 1916, had any affiliation with the brothers who formed the Ft. Worth establishment, but will continue to dig. I stumbled on it through various searches that somehow started with Calisher's, the name of the store that preceded Everybody's, and then the rest was just looking at breadcrumbs.

Edited to add that those familiar with El Paso may know that the store eventually became a Newberry's.

[MMarvelli]

Here is a scan of four font variations. Rather obscure differences. The obvious is two are thick and two are thin. The apostrophes in all four show additional differences.

H-Everybody's back variations.jpg

Hopefully more variations will be posted...

[Butch7999]

Great sleuthing! Kudos!

[Leon]

Another great discovery, Todd. Congrats. I love the M101-4/5 backs and have been collecting them for 15+ yrs. (before it was popular). As for the Everybody's back font variations I usually look at the way the first E in Everybody's is formed. The apostrophes' are all over the place on the way they were formed so I don't count them as variations. Pardon the other cards in this scan....Btw I think there is 1 Everybodys variation I am still looking for. I might go into more detail on the font variations later unless someone else wants to do it first?