This John G. Seeger safe bank has always interested me. I like advertising pieces, and being originally from Buffalo, NY this bank has a special place in my collection of “Buffalo Banks.”
There are at least two variations with the difference being in the lettering. The first variation has “John G. Seeger” in an arc with the remainder of the wording being straight left to right. The address is also listed as “124 126 Genesee St”. The second variation has all the wording in an arc, but in this case the address is listed as “124 Genesee St”.
John G. Seeger started in the furniture business in Buffalo, New York in the 1870’s. By 1880 he opened his store on E. Genesee Street and eventually expanded to include the store fronts at 122 – 126 E. Genesee Street. In 1902 a four-story addition adjoining the store was added, and a grand re-opening was held. Mr. Seeger passed away on May 21, 1919. The building still stands today.
Due to other information available at the time while putting the Safe Bank Book together I had estimated that this bank was made around 1895. I later acquired a trade card that pinned down the actual date to 1890. On the card it stated that for a cash purchase of $20 or more the buyer would receive a fine Safe or Jewel Case. They also advertised as having an elevator that was available until 9 PM which at that time must have been a novelty.
In my collection I like to include other items that help to put the bank in context. These include postcards, paperweights, trade cards and other advertisements.
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