Representative women of New England/Anna Florence Grant

by Mary H. Graves

ANNA FLORENCE GRANT

ANNA FLORENCE GRANT, printer, is a native of Portland, Maine. Her parents. Captain Frank M. and Joan Morse (Grant) Grant, removing to Boston in her girlhood, her education was received in the public schools of both cities. After her graduation she took a full course at Burilett's Business College, which she completed with honors. Her aptitutle for a business career early began to manifest itself, and, when she was only twenty years old, she availed herself of an opportunity to buy out the printing establishment on Court Street, Boston, of two young men who were selling out. Becoming proprietor of the entire business plant, she proceeded to build up a trade. In these times of sharp competition it is no simple matter to achieve success along any line, and the art preservative of all arts is far from being an exception. This Miss Grant, with her superior qualifications and recognizing no such word as fail, has done. Entering the business without previous experience other than that gained by frequenting a printing-office and learning to set type as a pastime, she quickly mastered the details, and became very proficient in type-setting, proof-reading, making-up, and printing.

At this time Miss Grant was the only woman in Boston who owned and operated a printing establishment — an establishment, too, of which any man might well be proud, containing large presses run by electricity and having men as type-setters and in the shipping-room. During the first year (1891) she advertised largely, and received orders from every State and Territory in the Union, as well as some from abroad. One important factor in her business is the engraving and printing of fine invitations and cards for weddings and society events generally. Another department in which she takes especial pride is that of making blank bonks, in connection with which she takes orders for binding, ruling, perforating, and electrotyping. She has printed everything, from a newspaper to a label the size of a postage stamp; from cards to law blanks, pamphlets, and books.

She is stationer for several leading women's clubs, and does stamping and embossing of the best quality. She is a very careful manager, making all her own estimates and figuring on contract work. She has many original ideas about her work, one of her specialties being advertising novelties. She has also manufactured some labor-saving devices for the counting-room, one of which, the "acme petty ledger," has met with a large sale. Her present place of business is at 42 Summer Street.

Miss Grant is a womanly woman, controlling her office with a dignity and kindly authority which have won for her the high respect of all her employees. Possessed of great tact and the courage which makes stepping-stones of obstacles, her progress has been steadily onward; and, with "Semper fidelis" for her motto, she has truly deserved her success.