Trade Card for E.H. Cross, Engraver & Printer
19th century
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 15/16 × 4 1/2 in. (7.5 × 11.4 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Bella C. Landauer, 1926
Accession Number
26.28.280
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant commercial world of 19th Britain with this charming trade card for E.H Cross, Engraver &. Produced anonymously during the Victorian era, these small printed advertisements were ubiquitous, handed out at shops, fairs, and markets to promote businesses. Measuring just 2 15/16 × 4 1/2 inches, this pocket-sized ephemera exemplifies the era's entrepreneurial spirit, showcasing Cross's own expertise in engraving and printing services. Crafted as an engraving—a meticulous intaglio technique where designs are incised into a metal plate inked, and pressed onto paper—this card hig...