Discover a haunting piece of early 20th-century funeral ephemera with this c. 1918 fold-out pamphlet, the “Catalogue of Fine Memorial Goods” from H.F. Wendell & Co. of Leipsic, Ohio—a company once heralded as “The Largest Memorial House on Earth.”
 
H.F.  Wendell & Co. built a national reputation as the premier mail‑order funeral goods supplier, producing ornate memorial cards and large lithographs directly from obituary listings. In its heyday, the company employed hundreds—often women—who scoured newspapers to transform each announcement of passing into artful, decorative funeral cards sent alongside this very catalogue.
 
This compact pamphlet, roughly 4″ × 6.25″, unfolds to reveal styles such as the “Angel of Peace” memorial card (sample dated 1918). It's full of samples of different memorial items and lithographs.
 
H.F. Wendell & Co. was founded in 1898 and by the early 1900s had become the largest producer of memorial cards in the U.S., revolutionizing how grief was shared by mail. Their products ranged from modest, single remembrance cards to large-scale lithographs—designed for mantel or parlor display as silent tributes to the recently departed. 
 
Overall, this piece is in incredible condition for being over 100 years old. It's still fully legible and free from any stains. There is some edge wear and the front cover has a crease in the paper along the top edge. See all pictures for more details.