This is a colorful embossed cardboard sign advertising Collins & Co., a manufacturer of axes and other tools. The clever ad plays on the double meaning of "axes." It's the plural of "axe" -- the kind of tool that Collins & Co. was selling -- but it's also the plural of "axis," illustrated here by the globes that represent the earth's
axis of rotation.
For a brief history of the company, see Ann Marie Somma,
World-renowned Maker of Axes: The Collins Company of Canton, a posting on ConnecticutHistory.org.
For a detail showing the text of the label on the axe, see
The Axes of the World Are Collins (Label Detail).
The Axes of the World Are Collins
"The best is the cheapest."
Collins & Co.
Hartford, Conn., U.S.A.
212 Water St., New York.
