Labels

DeMoulin Bros. placed labels on virtually everything they made.  Some of the earliest were metal tags and paper labels.  Later on they used decals, and uniforms and costumes used sewn in labels.

Badges

DeMoulin's created many different types of badges for lodge meetings and conventions during the early twentieth century.  These badges were made of ribbon, wire filigree, and cast metal pieces.  There were several competing companies in this field.  The ones made by DeMoulin are marked as such, and they are some of the most common items available today.

Lodge Initiation Devices

Ed DeMoulin got his start making rolling goats to prank new lodge members.  Until the 1950's, the company made a fascinating array of unique devices.  They held numerous patents on them and illustrated their use in catalogs for decades.  Some companies tried to imitate a few of these devices, but DeMoulin's were always the cleverest and best made.  Today, these are the most sought after DeMoulin products.

Spankers are probably the most common.  They, and other devices, fired blank cartridges to further scare initiates.  Items such as electric carpets and branding irons used hand crank magnetos to deliver a low level electric shock.  Many devices such as paddle machines and pie tables had spring loaded mechanisms that would fly up when tripped.  Trick chairs would collapse or roll back when sat upon.  Several contraptions had rubber bulbs of water or tubes of flour that would spray a person in the face when used.

It is impossible to list all the DeMoulin initiation devices here.  Originally, each had a label of some kind on them.  However, due to years of use or refinishing these labels are often missing.  Because these items were so unique and so well documented in catalogs they are easy to identify as being made by DeMoulin's.  Caution should be taken by owners of these devices today as they can cause bodily harm if used.

 

Uniforms, Costumes, and Cap and Gowns

In 1897 DeMoulin's made their first band uniforms, and for the past 60 years they have been the company's main focus.  They have also made numerous lodge outfits, hats, military uniforms, and graduation and choir gowns.  Many band uniforms and accessories are on the market today.  Of course the older ones are more rare.  Lodge outfits range from Indian style costumes for Order of Redmen lodges, to beaded gowns, to fancy hats and vests.

      

Furniture

DeMoulin's made furniture for churches and lodges until fire destroyed that section of the factory in 1955.  Much of the furniture was made of oak and was of heavy construction.  Many items are still in use today and are noted for their good quality.

Other Items

DeMoulin's supplied lodges with articles used in ceremonies such as Modern Woodman axes, Masonic trowels and aprons, and swords.  They also offered many accessories such as blank cartridges, fire cones, and even office supplies.  Many of these items were not actually made by DeMoulin's, but were re-boxed and re-labeled by them.

Since DeMoulin Bros. and Company was a small family business, they have been know to make many unique and one off items that may not be shown here.  Please contact us for more information.

Catalogs

During its history, DeMoulin's has printed thousands of different catalogs for their products.  These catalogs are a good guide to identifying items and dating them.  From the 1890's to the 1950's most of their catalogs were designed for specific lodges or organizations.  Others were like catalog 439, which tried to appeal to carnivals and stage shows.  Since the 1950's the company's focus has been on band uniforms and graduation cap and gowns.  Originally catalogs were numbered in the order they were released.  The lower numbers are the oldest and rarest.