What library equipment and supplies did our predecessors use? Some things have changed quite a lot while others remain somewhat similar. Let’s take a look at libraries from the past via this 1899 trade catalog.
Author: Alexia MacClain
As I removed the trade catalog from its protective envelope, the awnings on the front cover caught my eye. It reminded me of visits to my grandmother as a child and the awnings over the windows of so many houses and stores in her neighborhood. Once I opened the catalog, and just as the title suggests, I realized Murray & Baker sold much more than awnings.
Sometimes, planning a trip is as much fun as the trip itself. The Trade Literature Collection at the National Museum of American History Library includes catalogs that might have been used to plan vacations. Some are about summer and winter resorts while others describe railway and steamship travel. Let’s take a look at a late 19th Century trip along the Great Lakes.
For the past few months, many Americans have relied on delivery vehicles to transport essential goods, like food and other household products. And okay, maybe a non-essential pair of shoes, a game or a book or two. But delivery vehicles are nothing new. Let’s take a look at delivery cars through the lens of this early 20th Century trade catalog.
With just one glance at the front cover of this trade catalog, it appears like Spring is on the way. A lady is surrounded by flowers. Purple ribbons accessorizing her outfit are gently blowing in the breeze. Let’s take a look at what consumers might have stumbled across in 1915 while perusing this mail order/department store catalog.
A quick glance at this trade catalog’s front cover suggests the manufacturer might be advertising a family car. Perhaps this family is on the way to an afternoon picnic or maybe a ride through the countryside in their Paterson Six. Sometimes images in a trade catalog provide a glimpse into how the item was advertised to the general public.
Today in the 21st Century, some prefer to wear watches while others use their phones to keep track of time. Let’s take a trip into the past, via this trade catalog, to learn about a watch available at the turn of the 20th Century. One option for ladies was to disguise their watch with a decorative piece of jewelry.