Payroll Ledger Value Guide

This spiral-bound personal accounting ledger serves as a vital primary source documenting the wages of Mary E. Holtzinger at Red Lion Tool & Engineering during World War II. It represents a unique historical window into the surge of female labor and civil engineering support required for the American war effort in Pennsylvania.

What affects the value of Payroll Ledger?

• The specific historical context of WWII home front labor and female industrial participation.
• The physical condition of the steel spiral binding and the legibility of the handwritten ink entries.
• Completeness of the ledger, covering the full span of the 1942-1943 employment period.
• The rarity of documented payroll records from specific regional firms like Red Lion Tool & Engineering.

How to Identify Payroll Ledger?

• Verify the steel spiral binding and cardstock cover consistent with early 1940s manufacturing.
• Look for specific handwritten entries dated between 1942 and 1943 referencing Red Lion Tool & Engineering.
• Confirm the presence of Mary E. Holtzinger's name as the primary account holder for the payroll records.
• Check for period-accurate ink aging and paper patina typical of mid-century American stationery.

History of Payroll Ledger

This ledger captures a primary source account of female labor during the early 1940s in Pennsylvania. Documenting the wages of Mary E. Holtzinger at Red Lion Tool & Engineering, it reflects the surge in manufacturing and civil engineering support required for the American war effort. Small personal ledgers like this were common tools for tracking earnings and taxes before modern digital payroll systems, and they offer a unique window into the economic life of working-class families during the home front era.