Passing Bell Buoy, Boston Harbor

Trade card. Copyright, Bufford, Boston, Massachusetts. Circa 1890s.

Price:  $4.00

Nellie Lee’s Card

An illustration of a paddle wheel steamer passing a bell buoy in Boston Harbor:  This trade card was never printed with any particular company information. It’s just a sample card that had come into the possession, as we see from the reverse, of young Nellie Lee.

On the subject of buoys, there were a number of different types:  gas, whistling, can, nun, ice, spar and bell – this is info from a 4-column spread in The Boston Globe in 1889. The article’s author, John Collier, had gone out on Verbena, one of the steamers used for buoy supply and inspection, and had interviewed her captain, Charles I. Gibbs. Here are just a few excerpts, if you have time:

Buoys are like boys….

Below, Captain Gibbs, explaining some of the different buoys, the maintenance and some of the problems encountered:

Illustrations of an old bell buoy and an automatic whistler:

Sources:  Collier, John. “On the Verbena…Buoys and Beacons Visited by a Reporter….” The Boston Globe, June 9, 1889. Sunday, p. 17. (Newspapers.com).

Fog bell. n.d. wikipedia.org. (accessed September 22, 2024.)

E. K. Reynolds, Norwich CT Trade Card

Trade card, lithograph by Bufford, Boston, Mass. Circa 1878 – 1890.

Price:  $15.00

“After the race – off City Point, Boston Harbor.”

“E. K. Reynolds, French China, Grockery, Glass Ware & House Furnishing Goods.  Norwich, Conn.”

Yep, that’s a typo there – of course, they meant Crockery. And in checking the internet, this card is the only one that we see right now for E. K. Reynolds. It’s in good condition, other than the white mark, top left-hand side of the card, which is paper that had gotten stuck to it, at some point. The lithograph company name is printed in the waves there on the bottom right.

Edward Kennard Reynolds was born December 3, 1834 in Cecil County, Maryland. He married Fannie Foster and they had two daughters, Bennibel and Nellie. Edward died September 5, 1884, and from city directories, Nellie carried on the family business for a while. The last mention found (in a quick directory search) is for Mrs. E. K. Reynolds, in 1890, business address 159 Main and 17 Shetucket. The earliest directory found was for 1878.

Sources:  Price, Lee & Co. Steadman’s Directory, Norwich, 1878. No. 18. P. 199. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Price, Lee & Co. Steadman’s Directory, Norwich, 1890. No. 30. P. 402. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 05 June 2020), memorial page for Edward Kennard Reynolds (3 Dec 1834–5 Sep 1884), Find a Grave Memorial no. 92408525, citing Yantic Cemetery, Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA ; Maintained by Northern Neighbors (contributor 47033135) .

Brown & Dawson, Druggists

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Trade Card, circa 1887. Syracuse, New York.

Price:  $15.00     Size:  About 2 and 5/8 x 4 and 3/8″

“I use Toilet No. 13 Cologne. Made by Brown & Dawson, Druggists, No. 13 South Salina Street, Syracuse, N. Y.    Fragrant!    Delicious!”

Yikes, delicious?! Not how we would describe perfume or cologne today, I don’t think. Wonder if they named it number 13 after their address? In any case this is the second Bufford trade card of the same design (see prior post) and we’ll see what we can find for Brown & Dawson.

The 1879 city directory shows W. L. Brown and E. S. Dawson, Jr., Druggists.

W. L. was living at 223 Genesee Street in Syracuse in 1880, per the Federal Census, occupation Druggist. He was born in New York, about 1845. Married to Gertrude F., about five years his junior. Their children on this census are Garrett, Mabel and Guy, ages ten to three. Also in the household are Minnie Carey, domestic servant, and James Burrell, boarder.

The 1870 Federal Census for Syracuse reveals that W. L.’s given name is Willet (spelled with two t’s here). He’s there with wife Gertie, other family members Rebecca and Frank, and a Sarah Elmendorf, maybe a servant or border.

We also see Find A Grave has an entry for him, and this shows his wife’s maiden name was Garrett. And the 1910 Federal Census shows that Willet Brown is still operating as a druggist.

So, who was E. S. Dawson, Jr?

We went to Google eBooks to find that he was Edward S. Dawson, Jr. and how nice to find a biography and a photo. Edward was born September 29, 1852 in Syracuse and got into the pharmacy business as a bottle washer at age 16, eventually partnering with Willet Brown in 1887.  See The Pharmaceutical Era, Vol. 35  for the full account.

Edward S. Dawson Jr

Sources:  Boyd’s Syracuse City Directory, 1879 – 1880. p. 92. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Year: 1880; Census Place: Syracuse, Onondaga, New York; Roll: 908; Family History Film: 1254908; Page: 496A; Enumeration District: 222; Image: 0292. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1870; Census Place: Syracuse Ward 6, Onondaga, New York; Roll: M593_1063; Page: 364A; Image: 118471; Family History Library Film: 552562. (Ancestry.com)

Find A Grave Memorial #74337313. (findagrave.com). Web accessed May 22, 2016.

Year: 1910; Census Place: Syracuse Ward 12, Onondaga, New York; Roll: T624_1057; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0152; FHL microfilm: 1375070. (Ancestry.com)

Kennedy, Ezra J., Ph. C. (ed.). (1906) The Pharmaceutical Era, Vol. XXXV. p. 417. (Google eBook).

Page & Nunn, Brockton, Mass

Page And Nunn Brockton Mass tc1

Trade Card, circa 1882, Brockton, Massachusetts.

Price:  $15.00             Size:  About 2 and 5/8 x 4 and 3/8″

“Page & Nunn, Manufacturers of the Purest and Finest Confectionery, 427 Main St., Brockton, Mass.        D. L. Page.     F. T. Nunn.”

A trade card in what we like to call the “Breakthrough” style (see category under this name for more) and we couldn’t resist putting this one up after the Lupe Patton post because of the hairstyle and angle of the pose (he he). This was done by the well-known lithography firm Bufford of Boston, Mass. This particular design of the beautiful child with the soulful brown eyes may have been a popular choice back in the day:  We have another that will go up next, advertising a different company.

Dudley and Frederick

Page & Nunn were Dudley L. Page and Frederick T. Nunn according to the 1886 Lowell, Mass. city directory. Dudley was living in a house located on Humphrey “near Dracut line” and Fred was rooming at the shop, which was located at 46 Merrimack in Lowell. They appear in the 1888 Lowell directory, as well.

Page & Nunn Ad 1886

1882 in Brockton

But per our trade card Page & Nunn were found in the Brockton city directory 1882 with the business address same as on the card. There was supposed to be an ad for them on page 456, but evidently it never got submitted. The 1882 shows Dudley was living in a house in Lowell, and Fred was rooming at the Star Building on Main St. in Brockton.

A little more on Dudley

Dudley L. Page was found on the 1880 Federal Census for Lowell, living with his widowed mother, Ann Page, at 42 Church St. Dudley is listed as married, born in New Hampshire about 1846. Also in the household are grandchildren of Ann:  Lucien, Lena and Archie McLoon.

Sources:  John Henry Bufford. n.d https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_Bufford (accessed May 22, 2016).

Sampson, Murdock & Co.’s The Lowell Directory, 1886, No. XXXV. p. 460, 473, 828. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

C. F. Copeland’s, The Brockton City Directory, 1882. pp. 155 and 161. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Year: 1880; Census Place: Lowell, Middlesex, Massachusetts; Roll: 545; Family History Film: 1254545; Page: 563D; Enumeration District: 469; Image: 0628. (Ancestry.com)

Glenwood Stoves And Ranges

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Trade Card for Glenwood Stoves and Ranges. Sold by L. L. Crosby. Circa 1890s. Lithographer: J. Ottmann Lithography Company, New York.

Price:  $7.00

This is the second stove trade card that we have so far; there are sure to be more. The front of the card is a beautiful lithograph by the J. Ottman Co. of a lovely smiling brunette wrapped in a large blue head scarf (makes you think warmth) and states  “Perfect with a faultless record.”  On the back:

“Glenwood Stoves and Ranges! The Glenwood is indispensible to progress in cookery as well as comfort and convenience in modern housekeeping.

Sold by L. L. Crosby, Putney, VT.”

Tinsmith, Leslie L. Crosby

The seller is Leslie L. Crosby, and we find his marriage record online:  On September 19, 1889, he married Jessie R. Underwood in Putney, Vermont. Leslie was born in Waltham, Mass to Ariel Crosby and Marion Weston. His occupation at the time was Tinsmith, his age 25, so he was born about 1864.

Waltham, Mass city directories for 1884 and 1886 list Leslie L. Crosby, Tinsmith, at address Bacon corner of School, and  “bds do”  is “boards ditto” so presumably working and living at the same address. Surprisingly, not much else came up on Leslie in online searches. So, on to Glenwood…

We see a very similar to ours, Glenwood stove model at Sarah’s Antique Stoves. Scroll down to their 063 Glenwood H 1893 entry. (Wow, one could instantly fall in love with antique stoves. Such beauty!)

Glenwood stoves and ranges were made by the Weir Stove Company of Taunton, Mass. See the Good Time Stove Co.

Always looking in ads…

In newspaper advertisements “Glenwood Ranges” are starting to be mentioned around 1883 but “Glenwood Stoves and Ranges” not mentioned as such till around 1887. Here’s one of the latter that appeared in the Sacramento, California Union-Record July 8th.

1887 Ad for Glenwood

Jumping ahead about thirty years, a Kingston, New York ad that appeared February 13th 1917 in The Kingston Daily Freeman. With that caption you’d wonder if the temperature had dropped to negative 16 degrees that winter.

16 Below Ad for Glenwood

Last but not least, for more on Wier see the Wikipedia article Old Weir Stove Building. The old Weir building later housed the Rogers Silver Company. Photo (public domain) by Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger). This building is on the U. S. National Register of Historic Places.

FB Rogers

_______________________________________________

Sources:  Original data: State of Vermont. Vermont Vital Records through 1870. New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts. (Ancestry.com)

W. A. Greenough & Co.’s The Waltham and Watertown Directory, 1884. p. 54. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995).

W. A. Greenough & Co.’s The Waltham and Watertown Directory, 1886. p. 73. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995).

“Stoves For Sale – 063 Glenwood H 1893.”  (sarahsantiquestoves.com) Web accessed February 28, 2016.

Good Time Stove Co. (stoveprincess@goodtimesstove.com) Web accessed February 28, 2016.

Santa Ana Register. Sacramento, California. Friday, July 8, 1887. p. 2. (Newspapers.com)
The Kingston Daily Freeman. Kingston, New York. Tuesday, February 13, 1917. p. 3. (Newspapers.com)
Old Weir Stove Building. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Weir_Stove_Building. (accessed February 28, 2016).

J. I. Case Threshing Machine Co.

J I Case Threshing Machine Co tc1

“Compliments of J. I. Case Threshing Machine Co. Racine Wis. Send for Catalogue.”

Two travelers crossing a stone bridge in wintertime. The lithography company is Bufford, whose name shows halfway cutoff at the bottom left. This trade card is probably from the 1880s or ’90s. This is one of those posts that, in particular, could lead to hours of fascinating reading, if one has the time. According to the company’s ad in the 1929 city directory, the J. I. Case T. M. Co. was founded in 1842. It continued through many incarnations till the 1990s when it merged with CNH Global.

Founder Jerome Increase Case (1819 – 1891)

Jerome Increase Case

A full page ad from the 1929 Racine, Wisconsin city directory. There’s Old Abe’s likeness in the center; she was the famous eagle from the Wisconsin 8th Volunteer Infantry.

J I Case 1929 Ad

The real Old Abe with her color guard in Vicksburg, 1863.

Old Abe 1863

Our trade card at top, though not in the best of shape is, at the time this post was put up, the only one in it’s particular style, showing online. Although there are a few others that can be found, that are even more to the point, as they advertise some of the J. I. Case farm equipment being sold at the time. The “stone bridge” is a pretty common fixture in old trade cards, postcards and other ephemera. Our card was likely one of a set of winter scenes.

Trade card, J. I. Case Threshing Co. Circa 1880s – 1890s.

Price:  $25.00              Size:  3 x 4 and 1/4″

Sources:  Case Corporation. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case_Corporation (accessed February 4, 2016).

John Henry Bufford. n.d https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_Bufford (accessed February 4, 2016).

CNH Industrial. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNH_Industrial (accessed February 4, 2016).

Jerome Case. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Case (accessed February 4, 2016).

Wright’s Racine (Wisconsin) City Directory, 1929, Vol. XXXI. p. 3. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Old Abe. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Abe (accessed February 4, 2016).

L. Prang & Co. Christmas Card

L Prang & Co Christmas Card 1L Prang & Co Christmas Card 2

“May Christmas fill thy heart with gladness!”

For anyone tired of the cold and snow, here’s a beautiful bouquet of pink roses and a summery nature scene on an artist’s palette. The little moon-shaped tableau shows a woman in the foreground with a dog, a man seated a short distance behind her, and a church in the far distance. The publisher’s name and date appear below the palette:  Copyright 1886 by L. Prang & Co., Boston.

L. Prang was the influential lithographer and publisher Louis Prang (1824 – 1909) who is referred to as the “father of the American Christmas Card.” His Christmas cards were first offered for sale in the United States in 1874, but he is also well-known for publishing major works of art and maps. He was born in Breslau, Prussian Silesia (now Poland) and died in Los Angeles, California. Photo below courtesy Wikipedia. Check out the two links if you have the time, they are quite interesting reading, and a quick search for online images will bring up many examples in a wide range of art and ephemera.

Louis Prang

Louis Prang (1824 – 1909)

Christmas card, circa 1886. Publisher: L. Prang & Co., Boston, Massachusetts.

Price:  $15.00       Size:  About 5 x 5 and 1/4″

Sources:  Kavanagh, Marybeth. “Louis Prang, Father of the American Christmas Card.” New York Historical Society,  December 19, 2012. Web accessed December 24, 2015.

Louis Prang. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Prang. (accessed December 24, 2015).

Acorn Stoves & Ranges

Acorn Stoves & Ranges Trade Card tc1Acorn Stoves & Ranges Trade Card tc2

Trade Card for Rathbone, Sard & Co. and Acorn Stoves & Ranges. Circa 1886. Lithograph company:  J. Ottmann, New York.

Price:  $20.00           Size:  About 3 and 7/8 x 4 and 1/2″

A white veil or a goof-up?

You’ll notice the “waves” in this trade card – it’s not laying completely flat, but still an exceptional card:  showing an image of a Victorian Era auburn-haired beauty, in a sumptuous red gown trimmed with white lace and beads (or faux pearls?) wearing a long, large-beaded necklace, draped several times over, and with a cross pendant. (I keep thinking Madonna in the eighties). One of the best things is her headdress of oak leaves and acorns (love it!) She appears on a pale background of green leaves and acorns over red. But wait – what is the white part flowing from her left ear to shoulder? How funny – did the artist change his design and forget to fix it, or could it be meant to represent a veil flowing from the headdress? Hmmmm.

Almost a century

Acorn was a popular brand of stoves and ranges manufactured by Rathbone, Sard & Co., a very successful firm that had gone through a couple of name changes in it’s earlier decades; the company appears to have lasted until around 1925. It was started by Joel Rathbone, between about 1827 and 1830 in Albany, New York, appearing under the name of Heermans, Rathbone & Co. in newspaper ads for 1830. According to A. T. Andreas’ History of Chicago, Vol. 3, the partner, Mr. (John) Heermans died in 1830. Although, an online Ancestry.com tree includes a biography of Joel Rathbone (1806 – 1863) that indicates Hermans (Heermans) died in 1829, and provides further background information – that Joel started as a clerk for his brother Valentine Rathbone in the grocery business, and as early as 1827 was in business under Heermans, Rathbone & Co. Below is an 1830 ad from The Onondaga Standard. (Newspapers.com)

Heermans Rathbone & Co Ad 1830

Firm name Rathbone, Sard & Co. established in 1873

In February of 1873, an ad ran in the Chicago Daily Tribune (Newspapers.com) showing the dissolution of the co-partnership, John F. Rathbone & Co. to the formation of co-partnership Rathbone, Sard & Co. According to the ad, this change took place in Albany, January 1, 1873.

Rathbone Sard & Co Clip 1873  

The brand Acorn was not found in any ads prior to (the officially-named in 1873) Rathbone, Sard & Co. And there are a number of different trade cards for the company currently found online; our particular beauty above, is extolling the virtues of  “The Eastern Acorn for 1886”  advertising it as,  “The most Successful and Deservedly Popular Surface Burning Revertible Flue Stove on the Market.”  Design-engineered for cleanliness, comfort, ease of use, and efficiency; the description includes details like the fact that the body of the stove was constructed from the best Russia sheet iron.

Sources:  Russia iron. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia_iron (accessed November 22, 2015).

“Joel Rathbone” and “Hudson-Mohawk genealogical and family memoirs.”  Ancestry.com Public Family Trees. (accessed November 22, 2015).

The Onondaga Standard. 15 Sep, 1830:  Wednesday, p.1 (Newspapers.com)

Andreas, Alfred T. History of Chicago, Vol. 3. pp. 483-484. Chicago:  A.T. Andreas Co. 1886. (Google eBook).

Chicago Daily Tribune. 22 Feb, 1873:  Saturday, p. 1 (Newspapers.com)

Torrance, Pat. History Cast in Iron at the Old Stove Works. Sept. 12, 2011. (Patch.com). Web accessed November 22, 2015.

Corey & Stewart, Newark, NJ

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“Corey & Stewart, Fashionable Hatters and Furriers. 711 & 713 Broad Street. Newark, N. J.”

As of the date of this post, no other trade cards were found online for Corey & Stewart, which is a little surprising because they were a very successful firm. It’s another lithograph print by Bufford (new category going up) and a great design, in black on pale green, of the Roman ruins of Pompeii in the moonlight with an insert of a very fashionable couple on horseback.

The wonderfully detailed description below (we expect nothing less from the time period it was written, but thank you) is from William F. Ford’s The Industrial Interests of Newark, N. J….(1874) and reveals that Corey & Stewart was established in 1852 by James W. Corey, who was joined by James H. Stewart in 1863.

Corey & Stewart   

Corey & Stewart Ad 1870    An 1870 city directory showing the  “magnificent iron front building”  described above.

1868 and 1869 directories show they were located at 232 Broad Street, and by 1870 at 711 – 713 Broad St. The old address is also noted in the above directory ad. Listings were found for Corey & Stewart through the year 1896.

Trade Card for Corey & Stewart, Newark, NJ. Circa 1870 – 1896.

Price:  $25.00           Size:  About 5 and 1/4 x 3 and 1/8″

Sources:  Ford, William F. The Industrial Interests of Newark, N. J., Containing an Historical Sketch of the City…New York: Van Arsdale & Co., 1874. p.242. (Google eBook).

A. Stephen Holbrook’s Holbrook’s Newark City Directory, 1869. p. 155. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989).

A. Stephen Holbrook’s Holbrook’s Newark City Directory, 1870. p. 169. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989).

A. Stephen Holbrook’s Holbrook’s Newark City Directory, 1896. p. 330. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989).

I. Rice Sons, Rochester, NY

I Rice & Sons Rochester NY tc1I Rice & Sons Rochester NY tc2

“Established in 1852. I. Rice Sons, Dealers in Men’s and Boys’ Ready-Made Clothing, Cloths, Cassimeres, Vestings, &c., 29 East Main Street, Rochester, N. Y.”

At first glance, you might wonder if the  “I. Rice Sons”  without “&” printed on this trade card was a printing error, but not so, as we will see:  In browsing city directories we find that I. Rice was Israel Rice. His son Leopold worked with him for awhile, as the 1870 finds them under I. Rice & Son. By 1875, if not earlier, sons Henry and Seligman ran the business, hence the name I. Rice Sons appearing on this trade card.

A not all-inclusive directory timeline…

1864 – Israel Rice, clothier, 15 Main, home 8 Pleasant.

1870 – Israel Rice & Son (L. Rice)  “clothers” (clothiers) 15 Main, house 12 Pleasant.  Leopold Rice (I. Rice & Son), h. 11 Pleasant.

1874 – Israel Rice & Son. 15 Main St.

1875 – Israel Rice, 15 W. Main, house 12 Pleasant.   I. Rice Sons (L. H. and S. Rice) clothiers, 15 E. Main.

1878 – Henry Rice (Rice & Wolff) and (I. Rice Sons) house 4 Clinton Place. Israel Rice (I. Rice Sons) house 12 Pleasant. Seligman Rice (I. Rice Sons) 29 East Main.

1882 – I. Rice Sons (H. and S. Rice) clothiers, 29 E. Main.    Henry Rice & Co. (M. H. Lempert) hats and caps, 54 Mill and (I. Rice Sons) house 23 William.     Israel Rice, house 12 Pleasant.     Seligman Rice (I. Rice Sons) 29 East Main, house 1 Rome.

1884 – Henry Rice & Co. (M. H. Lempert) hats and caps, 110 Mill and (I. Rice Sons) house 28 William.   Israel Rice, 94 E. Main, house 13 (or 12) Pleasant.    I. Rice Sons (H. and S. Rice) clothiers, 94 E. Main.

The Litho company

“Bufford Boston”  that appears in small lettering at the bottom left of the trade card refers to John Henry Bufford (1810 – 1870) lithographer. By the time this card was printed the business was being run by his sons, Frank and John, Jr. We have another trade card by Bufford, Laurel Cottage’s very first post (!) entitled Princess Louise.

What’s on the back?

The back has an intriguing scrap of paper glued to it, maybe it was by accident or maybe the original collector was trying to make the card sturdier. Anyway, it appears that the trade card must have been laying on top of the classified section of a newspaper and the partial ad transferred over – in reverse. You have to hold it to a mirror to read it easily. The wording is:

“White Steamer, 20 h.p tour…top, shield, speedometer and…cost 3,000.00 reasonable price.”  And above that something about Chicago – maybe it was listed in a Chicago paper….Ahhh, a car – the White Steamer!

Trade Card, I Rice Sons. Rochester, NY. Circa 1878 – 1882.     

Price:  $15.00        Size:  About 2 and 5/8 x 4 and 1/2″

Sources:  Andrew Boyd’s Boyd’s Rochester and Brockport Directory, 1864-5. p.182. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

C. C. Drew’s Rochester Directory, 1870. No. 21. p. 177. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

Sampson, Davenport & Co.’s New York State Business Directory, 1874. p. 532. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

Drew, Allis & Company’s Rochester Directory, 1875. No. 25. p. 265. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

Drew, Allis & Company’s Rochester Directory, 1878. No. 29. p. 277. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

Drew, Allis & Company’s Rochester Directory, 1882. No. 33. pp. 359-359. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

Drew, Allis & Company’s Rochester Directory, 1884. No. 35. p. 428. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989.)

John Henry Bufford. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_Bufford. (accessed November 14, 2015).