THE SPICE BOX, Boston, October, 1880  This is the volume 1, number 10 issue of a quite scarce newspaper "Published by the Boston Branch, Grocery and Tea House". The front page features nice headlines concerning a recent election.
Four pages, never bound nor trimmed, good condition.

background: The Spice Box serves as a quintessential example of 19th-century "house organ" journalism, where commercial interests blended seamlessly with civic engagement to foster customer loyalty. Published by the Boston Branch Grocery and Tea House—a precursor to the modern supermarket chain—this October 1880 issue captures a pivotal moment in American history as the nation stood on the cusp of the Garfield-Hancock presidential election. The presence of prominent political headlines on the front page illustrates how local retailers used their proprietary platforms not just to hawk wares like Oolong tea or spices, but to act as influential community voices, bridging the gap between a mercantile catalog and a legitimate local news sheet. Surviving copies from the inaugural volume are exceptionally rare artifacts that provide a vivid, unvarnished look at the social, economic, and partisan atmosphere of Gilded Age Boston.