1901 Cover Letter by a Dissatisfied Employee of a Wholesaler of Anheuser Busch Seeking New Work

On offer is an excellent example of a written application for an advertised job, dating to the beginning of the 20th century.

The letter was written by a Mr. H.L Howland in response to a job advertised in a local newspaper. In his letter, he extols his virtues and how he would be able to fill the position offered. The position is not named but context suggests that it is a machine operator. Also included is the envelope in which the letter was sent.

His letter is interesting from a couple of perspectives. First, he writes it on his employer's letterhead. His employer, D.J. Young, is a wholesale agent for Anheuser Busch and their logo features prominently on each page. Secondly, he offers that he is dissatisfied with his employer but does not go into specifics. The Anheuser Busch logo is very prominent on each page of the letter. 

Anheuser Busch began in 1852 as the Bavarian Brewery in St Louis MO. In 1860, it was purchased by Eberhard Anheuser and operated as E. Anheuser & Co. until 1869 when he was joined by his son-in-law, Adolphus Busch. The firm was renamed Anheuser Busch. It became one of the most successful brewing companies in the United States. In 2008, it was acquired by the international brewing conglomerate InBev.

Our informal research has not been able to find any additional biographical information on Howland. For a collector of classic American memorabilia or an American brewing collectibles, this century and a quarter year old Anheuser Busch letterhead would be a fine addition to a collection.

The document is a letter comprised of 3 single-sided sheets, written on the letterhead of a wholesale dealer for the Anheuser Busch Brewing Association. The pages measure 10.75 inches by 8.5 inches. The letter is handwritten and is quite legible.