Aishton's Reversible Top [Toy Advertising Broadside] by Aishton, G. F - 1899

S. l. (Rochester, NY): s. n., 1899. Softcover. Broadside; 12 1/2 x 6 1/4; cream stock, printed in black; illustrated with a photograph and several engravings; thin, 1/2" cut to top edge; several small nicks to edges; old fold lines with several minor punctures at the intersecting lines; in about very good- condition.An interesting piece of ephemera, the broadside allowed a glimpse into the culture of the late 19th-century children and their entertainment opportunities. Said to be the top of tops, manufactured of maple and basswood, finished in three colors, and striped, it: "...spins on either end, self-winding, always ready to spin..." The broadside also included directions for spinning and dates the top was patented on in the United States, Europe and Canada. The large photograph depicted the counter and employees of a store in Rochester, where the top "sold at retail in one day...767 tops at 10 cents each." Further research into the elusive manufacturer showed that he, purportedly, committed suicide by "inhaling illuminating gas" in 1907.