1897 **R. L. POLK & CO.** DETROIT, MICHIGAN ADVERTISING COVER+"BARRY" POSTMARK!

Description

SEPTEMBER 15, 1897  ~R. L. POLK AND COMPANY~  "PUBLISHERS"  40 TO 44 LARNED STREET WEST, DETROIT, MICHIGAN ADVERTISING COVER WITH "BARRY" POSTMARK PLUS 2 CENT (CARMINE) SCOTT# 252 OR 267 (?) TYPE III "GEORGE WASHINGTON STAMP!
"123" year old business and postal history!
_____________________________________________________________________
R.L. Polk & Company
R. L. Polk & Company
was a provider of business and marketing information to the
automotive industry
, insurance companies, and related businesses.
[1]
It was based in
Southfield, Michigan
with operations in several other countries, including Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, China and Australia.
[1]
Its business-to-business marketing services included PolkInsight, the National Vehicle Population Profile (NVPP), Blackburn / Polk Marketing Services Inc. (BPMSI), Polk Dealer Marketing Manager, The Ultimate Perspective (T.U.P), Polk Canada Net, Polk Vehicle Lifecycle System, Polk CrossSell Reports,
[2]
and Polk Total Market Predictor (Polk TMP).
[
citation needed
]
From 1999 it was the owner of the vehicle data service
Carfax
.
Polk was acquired by
IHS Inc.
in 2013.
[3]
Company history
[
edit
]
Polk's
Illinois State Gazetteer
, 1880
R. L. Polk & Company was founded by
Ralph Lane Polk
in 1870 in
Detroit
as a publisher of
business directories
. In 1872, the company first published a directory with names and addresses of all residents of
Evansville, Indiana
, plus a listing of post offices in nine states. Additional directories followed in the ensuing years.
[4]
claiming 1000 directories by 1960.
[5]
Affiliates included the Polk-Husted Directory Co. of Oakland, California.
[6]
Polk directories contain an alphabetical listing of residents and businesses in a city. They usually also contain a section with properties listed in consecutive order by address. In addition to city directories, the company published bank directories.
In 1907, R.L. Polk & Co. was publishing a "
Gazetteer
" Business directory for the states of Michigan (plus
Windsor
and
Walkerville Ontario
), Alaska, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Illinois, Oklahoma, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon, Washington State, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
[7]
In 1921, a conversation between Ralph Lane Polk II and
Alfred P. Sloan
(who later became president of General Motors) helped fuel R. L. Polk & Company's entry into the automotive industry. During the conversation, Sloan asked Polk to impartially tabulate and publish statistical information on cars and trucks in operation. R.L. Polk & Company launched its motor vehicle statistical operations in 1922, when the first car registration reports were published.
[8]
In 1922, R.L. Polk & Co. published its first Passenger Car Registration Report, covering 58 makes and accounting for 9.2 million passenger automobiles on America's highways.
From 1951 to 1958, the company pioneered the use of electronic punch card tabulating equipment. In 1956, Polk's reporting services included monthly statistics on boats, business aircraft, motorcycles, commercial trailers, and recreational vehicles. In 1976, the National Vehicle Population Profile (NVPP) was introduced.
____________________________________________________________________
We strive to find rare and unusual vintage pieces to match up with your special collection.
Returns are readily accepted if the item(s) is the same as described. Item(s) must be in the exact condition as delivered. Buyer pays return shipping.
Items .00 or more will be shipped with tracking.
Items 0.00 or more will be shipped with insurance.
Combined shipping discount for multiple purchases (Please wait for us to send invoice for 2 or more items).
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.
Be sure to check out our "ever changing" inventory of vintage postage stamps, postal covers, postal cards, billheads, letterheads, stock certificates, stock coupons, bank checks, railroad and steamship ephemera, Civil War ephemera, World War I ephemera, World War II ephemera, promissory notes plus many other special items we can pass onto our customers.
Empire Stamp Company
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING:
USPS FIRST CLASS MAIL INTERNATIONAL/FIRST CLASS PACKAGE INTERNATIONAL SERVICE.
DELIVERY TIMES WILL VARY BY LOCATION FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS.