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Trade Card for John Steell, Carver, Gilder, and Printseller

Anonymous, British, late 18th–early 19th century

19th century

Trade Card for John Steell, Carver, Gilder, and Printseller by Anonymous, British, late 18th–early 19th century

Medium

Engraving

Dimensions

Sheet: 4 1/2 in. × 3 in. (11.5 × 7.6 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

26.28.337

Art Historical Context

Step into the bustling world of 19th-century British commerce with this charming *Trade Card for John Steell, Carver, Gilder, and Print*. Produced anonymously by a British engraver in the 18th to early 19th century, this engraving (just 4½ × 3 inches) served as a promotional tool for Steell's London business. Trade cards like this were the business cards of their era—distributed to customers to advertise services in framing, gilding ornate pictures, and selling fine prints. They offer a glimpse into the vibrant print culture of Georgian and Regency England, where craftsmanship met entrepreneur...

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