page 91 -- Relic from the catafalque obsequies of President Garfield, Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.

updated 8 December 2015

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"Catafalque" is the structure under which Pres. Garfield's body lay in state.
"Obsequies" are the proceedings of the funeral itself.

For additional information on the President and his times, see the blog of the James A. Garfield National Historic Site, "The Garfield Observer." Most of us are familiar only with President Garfield's death. To whet your appetite for further investigation:

From the Library of Congress

"Title

Ten white men and two Negroes who defrauded the American people out of their choice for president in 1876 / Connelly-Co. 192 B'Way, N.Y.

"Summary

Print shows portraits of men thought to be involved in the controversial decision regarding the presidential election of 1876; shown are "S.M. Kenner, G. Casenave, T.C. Anderson, J. Madison Well, J.A. Garfield, J.P. Bradley, O.P. Morton, W. Strong, G.F. Edmunds, S.F. Miller, F.T. Frelinghuysen, [and] G.F. Hoar". Rifles bundled like fasces appear on the sides with the portraits. Text under the headings "Crimes Rewarded and the Civil Service Degraded" and "Appealing for Justice to the Commission in 1877" flanks the portraits at left and right.

"Contributor Names

Connelly-Co.

"Created / Published

New York : The Advance Publishing Co., 5 and 7 Murray St., c1884 May 19."

This title can be read online at archive.org

"It is every man's duty to provide for his family--life insurance becomes
a matter of prudence and thus of duty." -- Henry Ward Beecher (?)

"I know of no way in which they could so well provide for their own
wants in advanced years, or of their familiew when they die, as by availing
themselvesof life insurance" -- Rev. Albert Barnes

I have kept on my life a perpetual insurance; and I think my duty to
those dependent on me would be undischarged it it were not so" --
Bishop Hawkes (the Protestant Episcopal Bishop at St. Louis)

"Life Insurance possesses exclusively the power of creating at once an
adequate provision against the destitution of dependents in case of death." --
Wright (most likely Elizur Wright)

"Nothing(?) in the commercial world approaches even remotely to the (?)
of a well-established and prudently-managed life insurance company(?). --
Prof. De Morgan (possibly Augustus De Morgan)

"If life was more frequently assured by men of salary and of small
capital, there would be fewer dependent widows and orphans than there
are." -- Rev. Nicholas Murray, D.D. (aka "Kirwan")

This title is available on archive.org

"Life insurance assists in providing for the widow and orphan; for sickness
and old age; and gives, meanwhile, a feeling of confidence, security
and independence." -- McCandlish

My best guess is that "McCandlish" (from this Google Books resource) is John McCandlish:

Title	International Insurance Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Theory and Practice of Al Branches of Insurance Throughout the World and from the Earliest Times to the Present Day ... p. 474-5 Volume 1 of International Insurance Encyclopedia, Isidore Singer Volume 1 of International Insurance Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Theory and Practice of Al Branches of Insurance Throughout the World and from the Earliest Times to the Present Day, William Otis Badger (the younger.)
Authors	David W. Armstrong (the younger.), William Otis Badger (the younger.), Edwin Warren De Leon
Editor	Isidore Singer
Publisher	American encyclopedic library assoc., 1910

 

The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, distributor of the trade cards above has a long history which is detailed here. At the time these cards were issued, the Company was getting ready to build and occupy one of NYC's landmark buildings, the Met Life Tower. My favorite photo of the building was taken by Brian Dubé for his blog, NewYorkDailyPhoto.com:

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