Since 2019 is the Smithsonian Year of Music, this is the perfect opportunity to take a look at music-related materials in the Trade Literature Collection. After a search of the Collections Search Center and a little browsing in the stacks, one rather thick catalog from 1912-1913 caught my attention.
Author: Alexia MacClain
Scouring toy catalogs and selecting their favorites is a holiday tradition for some children. We took a look in our collections to see what children might have selected in 1868. As you might expect, toys from 1868 are quite different from 21st Century toys. This trade catalog gives us a glimpse into playtime for children in 1868. Even though at first glance these toys appear rather simple compared to those of today, they still have some basic similarities.
During the holiday season, many will be spending time with family and friends, and most likely it will be over food. As the title of this trade catalog suggests, the kitchen is an important part of any home. Imagine preparing meals on kitchen appliances such as these!
With Halloween just around the corner, what better time than now to search for candy catalogs in the Trade Literature Collection? As you might expect, there are many catalogs describing either the candy itself or the machinery used to make candy. One catalog takes a slightly different angle.
School is back in session. Summer vacations are over. However, if you lived in 1892 and had the means to afford it, your vacation might have just started. And it might have lasted 72 days!
What do you imagine a vacation might have been like over a hundred years ago? This brochure from the Trade Literature Collection gives us a glimpse into what some people might have done on their summer vacation in 1909.
With the arrival of warmer days, images such as the lawn and porch swings found in this trade catalog might look inviting. Imagine you are relaxing on a porch swing looking out over the water, just like in one of the images in this 1913 trade catalog.