I recently started collecting Victorian trade cards from Nicoll the Tailor. The paper they areprinted on is limp and cheaper than typical trade cards. Can any E-Sylum reader figure out why Ihave an interest in them?

Alexander Nicoll was born in London on June 1, 1821, the son of Alexander Nicoll (1781-1851).

The father was a tailor in London.He was married in 1841 to Elizabeth Powell (1819-1877). They had ten children.

Alexander moved to Australia in about 1854. In 1856, he was in the Australian Census inCollingwood, Melbourne and employed as a tailor.

He moved to New York in 1869 and opened a tailor shop at 143 Bowery near an area called"Little Australia." Bowery is the oldest street in the city and was once an Indian trail. He didbusiness under the name of Nicoll the Tailor. It was reported that his store had the first electriclights in the city. The street was described as "The liveliest mile on the face of the earth." Thestreet hosted saloons, dance halls, concert halls and theaters.

Nicoll spent $100,000 a year on publicity and promotion. The business was successful and heexpanded to other locations. By 1879 he had fifty-two stores and was represented in every statein the Union (37).

The New York Times of October 30, 1878, carried a description of the business:

The store at 145 Bowery was destroyed by fire on March 8, 1887. This was followed by a firesale of water-stained merchandise.

An elevated railroad ran by the store. During the fire, a train stalled near the building. Someriders got out to walk down the track. When the train started up again, some of these walkerswere knocked off the track and fell head first twenty feet to the ground. Three men were killedand several others injured.

Alexander retired in 1885. In retirement, he travelled around the world twice and crossed theAtlantic forty times. His son Donald took over the New York stores and other eastern locations

He died in London on September 25, 1895. His body was cremated in London and the remainsreturned to Brooklyn for internment at Green-Wood Cemetery.

Smarty-Pants question of the week: What is the numismatic connection?