1913 TABARD INN BOOK COMPANY Stock Certificate Canterbury Tales Great Vignette!

Description

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1912 Tabard Inn Book Company Stock Certificate
Beautiful stock, with vignette of the historic Tabard Inn, which is mentioned in the iconic Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. The company history is below. Green, 5 share certificate issued to H.D. Cooper on Jan. 1, 1913. Has a small water stain on right border.  Two revenue stamps on reverse.
The Tabard Inn Company
was founded in 1902
by Seymour Eaton.
This company funded the Tabard Inn Library
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Tabard Inn Library
was administered by the “Booklovers Library
”
, another Seymour Eaton enterprise. Eaton was a remarkable entrepreneur and promoter who was also an author, journalist, and educator. He was the author of the "Teddy Bear Books". The Tabard Inn Library was a membership library with stations in the form of revolving bookcases located in drug stores and other commercial establishments throughout the United States. In an initial advertisement for the library, Eaton indicated that 10,000 of these bookcases would be manufactured at a rate of 25 and then 50 a day. The bookcases held 120 books which were to be changed from a central location every week. A member deposited five cents in a compartment in the bookcase to exchange a book. The carved message around the top of the bookcase read "The Best Reading Rooms In the United States Are the Homes of the American People". Membership certificates for the Tabard Inn Library were issued by Eaton. Initially, a lifetime membership cost .00 and was good anywhere in the United States. The cost of membership was later reduced to .50. Eaton used this procedure to develop a mailing list containing the names of a million men and women. He used the list to promote other ventures including the Tabard Inn Food Company.
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RETURNS AND GUARANTEE
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Buyer satisfaction and authenticity of certificate is guaranteed – returns are accepted with 14 days of purchase (buyer pays return shipping cost unless item received is not as described in this listing).
All certificates are originals, I do not sell reproductions. Stocks may have pinholes, tears, etc. Certificate shown is exact certificate you will receive, we don't use stock photos. Stock certificates may give paper cuts, use care when handling. Stock certificates are sold as collectibles only, no actual market value is to be expected.