{"id":18479,"date":"2025-05-14T07:00:38","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T07:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/library.udel.edu\/news\/?p=18479"},"modified":"2025-05-14T15:21:06","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T15:21:06","slug":"unearthing-history-through-commerce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/library.udel.edu\/news\/2025\/05\/14\/unearthing-history-through-commerce\/","title":{"rendered":"Unearthing History Through Commerce: A Look at UD\u2019s Trade Catalog Collection"},"content":{"rendered":"

By David Cardillo, Digital Collections and Preservation<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The <\/span>Trade Catalog Collection<\/span><\/a> in Special Collections at the University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press offers a fascinating glimpse into the commercial, technological and cultural history of the United States\u2014from the mid-1700s to the present. These catalogs were used to advertise and sell goods, and while the full collection has not been digitized, select items have been made available online through Interlibrary Loan requests or special patron inquiries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some materials, such as the <\/span>Conard-Pyle Company records<\/span><\/a>, have been digitized separately as part of focused projects.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Modern

Modern Greenhouse Construction trade card.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Among the treasures in the Trade Catalog\u00a0 collection is <\/span>Commercial Rose and Green Houses: Also, Conservatories, Palm Houses, Vineries, etc<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i> This horticultural catalog features structural ironwork for greenhouses and includes intricate diagrams of parts used to construct commercial rose houses.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Diagram

Diagram of components available for ordering to build a commercial rose house.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Another agrarian-themed item, the <\/span>Catalogue of Grass Cutting Machinery<\/span><\/i><\/a> by the Deering Harvesting Company, showcases a single product: a horse-drawn grass mower, likely used for harvesting grain or hay.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Early

Early harvesting technology meets horsepower\u2014literally.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

This catalog is especially intriguing for mechanical engineers and history-of-technology enthusiasts. The mower was a two-horsepower machine\u2014impressive for its time, considering that today\u2019s single-cylinder gas engines typically generate between 3 and 7 horsepower. The design includes a multi-geared differential and a rudimentary suspension system, reflecting the ingenuity of late 19th-century engineering.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The

The front-cut giant mower.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Gear

Gear mechanism of the mower, described in the original catalog as needing \u201cno words.\u201d Perhaps the writer underestimated the reader\u2014or overestimated the clarity!<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Masks,

Masks, Beards and Wigs Catalog cover.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Moving from field to stage, the <\/span>Illustrated Catalogue of Papier M\u00e2ch\u00e9, Linen, Wax, Wire, Gauze, Show and Curtain Masks, Noses, Wigs, Beards, etc.<\/span><\/i><\/a> from the American Mask Manufacturing Company features a wide variety of theatrical masks and costume accessories. This colorful and whimsical catalog, intended for theater professionals, also serves as a charming glimpse into early costume culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Assortment

Assortment of masks available for purchase, including animals and characters.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Wigs,

Wigs, beards, and other theatrical accessories.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Trade catalogs are invaluable resources that reveal the evolution of consumer culture, industrial design, advertising and manufacturing practices across American history. They also provide insight into both agrarian and industrial economic models. While the collection is currently digitized on an as-requested basis, future initiatives may allow for full-scale digitization\u2014through grants or strategic planning.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the meantime, the Trade Catalog Collection remains a rich resource for scholars of history, engineering, theater, art and material culture. Whether you\u2019re researching 19th-century agricultural tools or sourcing visuals for a historical play production, there\u2019s likely a catalog here for you.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By David Cardillo, Digital Collections and Preservation   The Trade Catalog Collection in Special Collections at the University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press offers a fascinating glimpse into the commercial, technological and cultural history of the United States\u2014from the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":18481,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[12,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-collections","category-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-08 02:37:02","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.udel.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.udel.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.udel.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.udel.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.udel.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18479"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/library.udel.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18479\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18537,"href":"https:\/\/library.udel.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18479\/revisions\/18537"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.udel.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18481"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.udel.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.udel.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.udel.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}