Trade Card for William Taylor, Engraver, Embosser & Printer
19th century
Medium
Color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 4 9/16 × 6 1/4 in. (11.6 × 15.8 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
26.28.372
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th British commerce with this colorful trade card for William Taylor an engraver, embosser, and printer. Produced anonymously in Britain during the Victorian era, this small gem (measuring just 4 9/16 × 6 1/4 inches) served as a promotional tool, much like a modern business card but far more eye-catching. Trade cards like this one exploded in popularity amid the Industrial Revolution, when businesses vied for attention in a growing consumer market, distributing them at markets, shops, and events to showcase services and build brand loyalty. Crafted as a color ...