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Chromolithography, a new development in printing technology, allowed for printing in bright and bold colors never before possible in advertising. As some of the first mass-produced color items available, trade cards had tremendous appeal. The public responded with great enthusiasm and collecting trade cards became a craze in the 1880s. Cards were exchanged with friends and collected and pasted into albums. Highly decorative albums were compiled, making use of colorful scraps, trade cards, and other collectible cards. The popularity of the trade card peaked around 1890 and then faded by the end of the century as other forms of advertising, primarily in mass-circulation magazines, replaced the trade card as a means of advertising products nationwide.
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 | Chase's Liquid Glue. Joshua S. Chase, Boston. ca. 1885.
National Color Printing Co., Boston, lithographers. |
 | Standard Java. Chase & Sanborn, Boston. ca. 1885.
Forbes Co., Boston, lithographers, Die cut (donkey) trade card.
Recto and verso. |
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