The Art of the Trade Card
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Beautiful women; adorable children and animals; flowers and fairies; patriotic, domestic, and foreign scenes; and ethnic caricatures were among the wide variety of images depicted in trade card illustrations. Literary cards were also popular and drew upon the works of Shakespeare and Jonathan Swift. The growth of new industry and technology was much celebrated in the nineteenth century and urban scenes illustrated the growth of cities, the facilities of manufacturers and retailers, and the latest innovations in transportation. With the availability of new products came a growing demand for creature comforts and conveniences, and manufacturers often emphasized in the illustrations the great improvements in home life that would result from acquiring their product.
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|  A.b. Chase Organ Co. Norwalk, Ohio. ca. 1885.
W.J. Morgan & Co., Cleveland, Ohio, lithographers.
 George Hecker & Co. New York. 1876.
Hatch Lith. Co., New York, lithographers.
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