Ruler
Object number2019.81.4
OriginPittsburgh, PA
MediumWood; Paint; Varnish
Credit LineGift of Stanley Beck
DescriptionLong rectangular wooden ruler with sloping top edge. Varnished overall. Front and back have black painted decoration and text.DimensionsHeight x Width x Depth: 1.063 × 12 × 0.188 in. (2.7 × 30.5 × 0.5 cm)InscriptionsTop half of front has ruler with each inch (1-12) demarcated with a black numeral.
Bottom half of front has black text at proper right "Quality / MEATS", at center "Make It A Rule To Buy / at SCHWARTZ SANITARY MARKETS", and at proper left "Fancy / GROCERIES".
Reverse has black printed text "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ / 4 CONVENIENT STORES TO SERVE YOU / 1507 CARSON STREET, S. S. 4305 BUTLER STREET, LAWRENCEVILLE / 2548 BROWNSVILLE ROAD, CARRICK 4769 LIBERTY AVENUE, BLOOMFIELD".
MarksBlack text on front at proper right edge "MADE IN U.S.A." and reverse in bottom proper right corner "H.K. PHELP INC., ADV / PITTSBURGH"; reverse's text is difficult to decipher, the maker last name may not be correct.
Historical NotesPromotional ruler from Schwartz's Market. Schwartz's Market was a small grocery chain based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Morris Schwartz immigrated to Pittsburgh as a young boy. With his brothers Bernath, Joseph, Samuel, and William, he started Schwartz's Sanitary Market at 1511 E. Carson Street as early as 1925, according to city directories. After occupying several storefronts along the street, the brothers opened a supermarket at 1317-1319 E. Carson Street in late 1938. At its height, Schwartz's Market had branches in Carrick, Lawrenceville, Homewood, and Bloomfield, in addition to its flagship store in the South Side. The Schwartz family sold the South Side business to Martin and Audrey Dorfner and Richard and Donna Stanton in 1985 but retained ownership of the building. Schwartz's Market closed in 2011. The South Side Store was revived in 2013 as Schwartz Living Market by Stan and Elisa Beck, descendants of Morris and Helen Schwartz. In its new iteration, the building housed a variety of environmentally focused food and product vendors. The Beck family sold the property in June 2019.
Related institution
Schwartz's Market
(1925 - 2011)
Related person
Morris Schwartz
(1897 - 1952)
On View
Not on view
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