New Year Greetings
Three early advertising notes, one for Toluca, Estado de México and two for a tlapaleria in Guadalajara, were produced by the A. Gast Bank Note Company of St. Louis, MissouriThis company was, at one time, described as the “leading lithographic and steel plate printing establishment in the United States”. Leopold and August Herman Ludwig Gast emigrated to the United States in 1848 and worked as printers in New York and Pittsburgh before setting up in St. Louis in 1852. By the end of the century the company evidently did a large trade in advertising calendars, which business establishments would order for distribution to their clients and also printed such notes as these for use in company‐owned mercantile stores in the western states of America.
"El Arte" and “La Paleta” Tlapaleria
This store In Guadalajara, offering stationery, paints and materials for artists, was founded in 1894 and in 1901 run by Juan Becerra. It issued an advertising note, for 100 years of prosperity, dated 1 March 1905. 
This was signed by Juan Becerra as Propietario, Jesús Sevilla as Gerente, and José Velázquez as Cajero. Another note wished customers a Happy New Year for 1906. By this time the store was called "La Paleta", the propietor was Joaquín Becerra and the good wishes also came from Francisco S. Aguirre, representing the staff.
Optica Económica de Guadalajara
By 1939 Joaquín Becerra of "La Paleta" (above) was manager of the opticians, Optica Económica de Guadalajara, located at the Edificio Mercantil, Avenida Morelos 262El Informador, Año XXI, Tomo LXXVII, Núm. 7,402, 29 March 1939.
In January 1943 this opticians produced an advertising flyer, whereby Joaquín and his Cajero, José Ricot, wished customers a seasonal greeting of 20 years of happiness. Incidentally, the face is based on the $20 note of Pancho Villa's Banco del Estado de Chihuahua, which was not put into circulation and the remainders were widely used as advertisements.
