Co-operative Dress Association signed by Kate Field - New York 1881

Beautiful certificate from the Co-operative Dress Association issued in 1881. This historic document was printed by American Bank Note Company and has an ornate border around it with a vignette of the New York State Seal. This item has the signatures of the Company's President, Kate Field and Secretary, B. Y. Pippey and is over 125 years old. The certificate was issued to Sigmund Cohn.


Certificate Vignette

The Co-operative Dress Association of New York City was founded by Kate Field in 1881. Mary Katherine Keemle Field (aka Kate Field )(1838-1896) was an American journalist, author and actor.

Field was a keen advocate of women's rights and of spiritualism. She paid several visits to England where she met Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens and JW. She is said to have had a romantic involvement with Anthony Trollope. Her publications include Adelaide Ristori (1867); Extremes Meet. A comedietta; The history of Bell's Telephone (1878); Pen Photographs of Charles Dickens' Readings (1868); Taken from life (1868); Planchette's Diary (1868); Ten Days in Spain (1875); Charles Albert Fechter (1882).

In London in June 1871, Field stayed at Aubrey House, Notting Hill. She visited JW with a friend in July 1873: 'Then we went to James Whistler's by appointment . He was very cordial, showed me over his charming house - delighted with his pictures. Hennessy said he had never seen Whistler so radiant. We remained two hours. Dined at Hennessy's, met Appleton of 'the Academy''. She was among those included in a list by JW that may have been a guest list for his 1874 Pall Mall exhibition or a subscription list for his Venice etchings as envisaged in 1876 (#12714).

In 1893 Field was among 74 notable Americans to contribute an essay to the American Press Association for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, predicting what life would be like in the 1990s. Hers was entitled, 'All Depends on Our Women'.

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FIELD, Joseph III., actor, born in London, England, in 1810; died in Mobile, Ala., 30 January 1856. His parents were Irish exiles, which brought him to the United States at an early age. He was educated in New York City, and studied law. At the age of twenty-six he married, and in 1843 made his first appearance as an actor in one of the minor New York theatres. The drama soon became his regular profession, and for years he traveled and performed in most of the large cities of the Union. In 1852 he became manager of a theatre in St. Louis, Maine, where he dramatized and produced many local plays, and established the "Reveille," a daily newspaper, of which he was one of the editors and chief proprietor. In St. Louis he wrote many humorous sketches for his brother's New Orleans "Picayune." These articles were signed "Straws," and became widely quoted. At the time of his death Field was proprietor of the theatre in Mobile, Ala. He published "The Drama of Pokerville" (Philadelphia, 1847).

His brother, Matthew C. Field, journalist, born in London, England, in 1812; died at sea in 1844, was brought to the United States an infant, and, after a course of education in the common schools of New York City, entered a printing office, where he made his way into journalism. Field occasionally acted in Mobile, New Orleans, and other southern cities. He was for several years one of the editors of the New Orleans "Picayune," and contributed numerous articles in prose and verse to southern periodicals, over the signature of "Phazma.

Joseph's daughter, Kate Field, lecturer, born in St. Louis, No., about 1840, was educated in Massachusetts at various seminaries, and later gave especial attention to musical studies. She made several prolonged visits to Europe, and during her stay there became correspondent of the New York "Tribune," Philadelphia "Press," and Chicago "Tribune." She also furnished sketches for periodicals. In 1874 Miss Field appeared as an actress at Booth's theatre, New York. where she met with some success ; and afterward she renewed her dramatic efforts as a variety performer of dance, song, and recitation entertainments. From 1881 until the summer of 1883 she was at the head of an extensive ladies' "Cooperative Dress Association" in New York. After leaving the Cooperative Dress Association, Miss Field had confined her attention to lecturing on Mormonism and other topics of the day. Her publications include "Planchette's Diary" (New York, 1868); "Adelaide Ristori" (1868); "Mad on Purpose," a comedy (1868); "Pen Photographs from Charles Dickens's Readings" (Boston, 1868); "Haphazard" (1873); "Ten Days in Spain" (1875); and a "History of Bell's Telephone" (London, 1878).

History from Wikipeida and OldCompanyResearch.com.