Nature and Scope
Explore domestic life, leisure and the material culture of nineteenth- and twentieth-century America through the rich and varied material presented in Trade Catalogues and the American Home.
Explore domestic life, leisure and the material culture of nineteenth- and twentieth-century America through the rich and varied material presented in Trade Catalogues and the American Home.
Introduction
Trade catalogues have been a prominent feature in commerce and manufacturing from the eighteenth century to the present day. Highly illustrated, they are an essential visual record of a variety of products and facilitate research into popular culture, material culture, social norms and attitudes, as well as the history of marketing, business, and technology.
These documents provide evidence of the evolution of distribution and communication systems linking manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers across the emerging United States and beyond. They document the changing commercial tastes and fashions of the consumer over a period of rapid growth, expansion and crisis (both at home and overseas), revealing contemporary prices and economic expenditure for households and individuals on a range of products.
Interrogation of trade catalogues, trade cards and marketing ephemera provides opportunities for interdisciplinary research across the social sciences including:
- Material culture
- Social history
- History of business and marketing
- The rise of mail order and department stores
- The role of women; both within the home and without
- The changing nature of consumerism
- The idea of the ‘American Dream’
- Mass production
- The effects of conflict on business and consumerism
- Consumer habits and purchasing power within this timeframe
Introduction
Trade catalogues have been a prominent feature in commerce and manufacturing from the eighteenth century to the present day. Highly illustrated, they are an essential visual record of a variety of products and facilitate research into popular culture, material culture, social norms and attitudes, as well as the history of marketing, business, and technology.
These documents provide evidence of the evolution of distribution and communication systems linking manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers across the emerging United States and beyond. They document the changing commercial tastes and fashions of the consumer over a period of rapid growth, expansion and crisis (both at home and overseas), revealing contemporary prices and economic expenditure for households and individuals on a range of products.
Interrogation of trade catalogues, trade cards and marketing ephemera provides opportunities for interdisciplinary research across the social sciences including:
- Material culture
- Social history
- History of business and marketing
- The rise of mail order and department stores
- The role of women; both within the home and without
- The changing nature of consumerism
- The idea of the ‘American Dream’
- Mass production
- The effects of conflict on business and consumerism
- Consumer habits and purchasing power within this timeframe
Scope of the Collection
The wide range of industries and documents covered within this resource allow researchers to explore: gender, class, changing social attitudes towards consumerism, the rise of the American Dream, and the response of American business to conflict. It is possible to explore the shaping of the United States in a century that witnessed the “closing of the frontier”, the mapping of states, domestic and international conflict, Reconstruction, the Great Depression – and the resulting cultural and societal changes including the role of women and material culture. Users can trace business history, the development of advertising, the rise and popularity of mail order shopping and department stores as well as changes in design, improvements in technology and the impact on domestic life using the material included within this resource.
Scope of the Collection
The wide range of industries and documents covered within this resource allow researchers to explore: gender, class, changing social attitudes towards consumerism, the rise of the American Dream, and the response of American business to conflict. It is possible to explore the shaping of the United States in a century that witnessed the “closing of the frontier”, the mapping of states, domestic and international conflict, Reconstruction, the Great Depression – and the resulting cultural and societal changes including the role of women and material culture. Users can trace business history, the development of advertising, the rise and popularity of mail order shopping and department stores as well as changes in design, improvements in technology and the impact on domestic life using the material included within this resource.
Contributing Archives and Libraries
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- Hagley Museum and Library
- Winterthur Library
Contributing Archives and Libraries
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- Hagley Museum and Library
- Winterthur Library
Content Warning
Due to the nature of these sources, images featuring racism and sexism can be found in this resource.
Please also note that, due to the period in which the primary sources in this resource were produced, some do contain language and terminology that is outdated, derogatory and offensive by modern standards. Learn more about our approach to terminology in this resource in the Language Statement.
Content Warning
Due to the nature of these sources, images featuring racism and sexism can be found in this resource.
Please also note that, due to the period in which the primary sources in this resource were produced, some do contain language and terminology that is outdated, derogatory and offensive by modern standards. Learn more about our approach to terminology in this resource in the Language Statement.
Document Types
The primary sources in this database consist of the following document types:
- Catalogue
- Correspondence
- Ephemera
- Leaflet
- Manual or ‘How to’ Guide
- Postcard
- Price List and Order Form
- Sales Document
- Trade Card
Document Types
The primary sources in this database consist of the following document types:
- Catalogue
- Correspondence
- Ephemera
- Leaflet
- Manual or ‘How to’ Guide
- Postcard
- Price List and Order Form
- Sales Document
- Trade Card
Industries
Industries have been attributed to documents in Trade Catalogues and the American Home as metadata tags to enhance browsing functionality. Use the Browse by Industry area to focus on documents relevant to your research.
- Advertising
- Animal and Agriculture
- Automotive
- Bicycles, Carriages and Wagons
- Clothing and Accessories
- Construction and Real Estate
- Cosmetics and Personal Products
- Crockery, Glassware and Utensils
- Department Store and Mail Order Catalogues
- DIY and Gardening
- Education, Gifts and Stationery
- Entertainment, Arts, Crafts and Hobbies
- Food and Drink
- Health and Medicine
- Home Decorating and Design
- Household Goods and Appliances
- Sport, Leisure and Outdoor
- Toys and Games
These industries offer research opportunities into the following thematic areas:
- Product Design
- Architecture and Interior Design
- Business, Economics and Retail History
- Fashion and Beauty trends
- Architecture and Interior Design
- Gender and Domesticity
- Domestic Technologies and the rise of Labour-saving Devices
- Transportation
- Domestic Life and Leisure
- Food and Drink
- Health and Sanitation
Industries
Industries have been attributed to documents in Trade Catalogues and the American Home as metadata tags to enhance browsing functionality. Use the Browse by Industry area to focus on documents relevant to your research.
- Advertising
- Animal and Agriculture
- Automotive
- Bicycles, Carriages and Wagons
- Clothing and Accessories
- Construction and Real Estate
- Cosmetics and Personal Products
- Crockery, Glassware and Utensils
- Department Store and Mail Order Catalogues
- DIY and Gardening
- Education, Gifts and Stationery
- Entertainment, Arts, Crafts and Hobbies
- Food and Drink
- Health and Medicine
- Home Decorating and Design
- Household Goods and Appliances
- Sport, Leisure and Outdoor
- Toys and Games
These industries offer research opportunities into the following thematic areas:
- Product Design
- Architecture and Interior Design
- Business, Economics and Retail History
- Fashion and Beauty trends
- Architecture and Interior Design
- Gender and Domesticity
- Domestic Technologies and the rise of Labour-saving Devices
- Transportation
- Domestic Life and Leisure
- Food and Drink
- Health and Sanitation
Collection Highlights
- Catalogues from big-name department stores, such as Sears & Roebuck, Montgomery Ward, Charles William Stores, the National Cloak & Suit Co.
- Historic documents relating to popular brands including: Colgate, Ford, General Electric, General Motors, Spalding, Bloomingdale’s, Dodge, Kodak, Heinz, Hotpoint, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Remington, Spiegel, Wedgewood, and more.
- Documents covering all aspects of domestic life, enabling users to see transitions in lifestyle and developments in technology.
- Samples of materials, fabric, wallpaper, decorations and small products are featured within documents.
- A huge selection of material covering: Department Store Catalogues, Fashion and Clothing, Bicycles, Home Furnishings and Furniture, Food, Household Appliances, Cosmetics, Home Remedies and Health, and Sports and Leisure amongst many others.
Collection Highlights
- Catalogues from big-name department stores, such as Sears & Roebuck, Montgomery Ward, Charles William Stores, the National Cloak & Suit Co.
- Historic documents relating to popular brands including: Colgate, Ford, General Electric, General Motors, Spalding, Bloomingdale’s, Dodge, Kodak, Heinz, Hotpoint, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Remington, Spiegel, Wedgewood, and more.
- Documents covering all aspects of domestic life, enabling users to see transitions in lifestyle and developments in technology.
- Samples of materials, fabric, wallpaper, decorations and small products are featured within documents.
- A huge selection of material covering: Department Store Catalogues, Fashion and Clothing, Bicycles, Home Furnishings and Furniture, Food, Household Appliances, Cosmetics, Home Remedies and Health, and Sports and Leisure amongst many others.
Note on Metadata
The metadata accompanying the documents in Trade Catalogues and the American Home has been drawn from library and archive catalogues, with additional data supplemented by the AM team to facilitate browsing and searching.
The metadata fields added by AM include:
- Document Type
- Industry
- Language
- Keywords
- Places
- Brand
- Additional Information
- Visual Content
In some cases, edits or additions have been made to metadata taken from the library and archive catalogues to improve searchability and to ensure that the language and terminology is aligned with our current editorial guidelines. This is true for the following metadata fields:
- Title
- Date
- Company
- Collection
For more information on language and terminology within this resource, see our Language Statement.
Note on Metadata
The metadata accompanying the documents in Trade Catalogues and the American Home has been drawn from library and archive catalogues, with additional data supplemented by the AM team to facilitate browsing and searching.
The metadata fields added by AM include:
- Document Type
- Industry
- Language
- Keywords
- Places
- Brand
- Additional Information
- Visual Content
In some cases, edits or additions have been made to metadata taken from the library and archive catalogues to improve searchability and to ensure that the language and terminology is aligned with our current editorial guidelines. This is true for the following metadata fields:
- Title
- Date
- Company
- Collection
For more information on language and terminology within this resource, see our Language Statement.
Research and Teaching
A variety of research tools provide further contextual information or guidance for teaching and research. From essays and video interviews to case studies and thematic guides, explore the options under Research Tools or view the full list in Teaching Tools.
Research and Teaching
A variety of research tools provide further contextual information or guidance for teaching and research. From essays and video interviews to case studies and thematic guides, explore the options under Research Tools or view the full list in Teaching Tools.