Last week I scanned a catalog from Taylor Instrument Companies  from 1919. Already by that time they are manufacturing thermometers, barometers, hydrometers, compasses, and more. The price list is at the front (pages 3 – 34) so the actual title page for the catalog is at page 35. That price list actually came inside a pocket in the front of the catalog. It appears that this is a wholesale catalog as most smaller items had to be bought by the dozen.

Not sure why they use the plural “Companies” in the name of their company. It may be because they had offices in other cities. Note also they used “Tycos” as a brand for some of the instruments. It was just a shorten version of the company name.

This catalog is in poor condition with the covers detached. It has also been wet at sometime in the past 100 years. Then while handling it my hands got covered with a white powder. Is it powdered paper? I don’t think so. It is dried mold? Possibly. My best guess is that it is baking soda used to get rid of musty smelling pages.