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Trade Card

19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This object is a trade card. A trade card was an advertisement, as well as a business card, which was often also used by the tradesman as a bill or receipt.

Ackermann and Co. was a publisher and print seller established in 1795 by Rudolph Ackermann (1764-1834). Born in Saxony and trained as a carriage designer, Ackermann moved to London in 1783. From 1800 he was the leading publisher of colour-plate books, decorative prints and fashionable periodicals. Ackermann's Repository of Arts was a periodical published from 1809-1827, which featured, among other subjects, literature, commerce, manufactures, politics, fashions and costume plates. Like other fashion plate magazines of the period, La Belle Assemblee and the Lady's Magazine, Ackermann's Repository served as a guide to dressmakers and spread fashion ideas.

Cameo embossing involves printing the surround of the image, leaving the image itself embossed but not printed.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Cameo embossing
Brief description
Anonymous trade card for Ackerman and Co, Repository of Arts, 96 Strand, London, 19th Century
Physical description
The company name and address are printed in the centre of the card, surrounded by intricate ornamentation incorporating emblematic representations of the arts of painting, writing etc.
Dimensions
  • Height: 10.5cm
  • Width: 14.4cm
Production typeMass produced
Subjects depicted
Summary
This object is a trade card. A trade card was an advertisement, as well as a business card, which was often also used by the tradesman as a bill or receipt.

Ackermann and Co. was a publisher and print seller established in 1795 by Rudolph Ackermann (1764-1834). Born in Saxony and trained as a carriage designer, Ackermann moved to London in 1783. From 1800 he was the leading publisher of colour-plate books, decorative prints and fashionable periodicals. Ackermann's Repository of Arts was a periodical published from 1809-1827, which featured, among other subjects, literature, commerce, manufactures, politics, fashions and costume plates. Like other fashion plate magazines of the period, La Belle Assemblee and the Lady's Magazine, Ackermann's Repository served as a guide to dressmakers and spread fashion ideas.

Cameo embossing involves printing the surround of the image, leaving the image itself embossed but not printed.
Collection
Accession number
E.450-1998

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Record createdNovember 1, 2005
Record URL
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