A century of Trade Catalogs & Technical Manuals: 18 items, 1845-1939
Trade catalogs, that is, printed material often heavily illustrated and fully-priced catalogs of merchandise, goods, supplies, or products devoted to a single merchant or producer, were originally intended as sales and advertising publications. These ephemeral items today provide especially valuable documentation of commercial and material culture, offering an invaluable record of commercial products and industries that frequently have no other printed witness.
The following diverse selection of trade catalogs covers examples of architecture, books and bookselling, building supplies, ceramics, crystal, dresses, drug store supplies and pharmacies, furniture, glasswork, hairpieces and wigs, hardware, iron works, porcelain, printing presses, raincoats, textiles, trade manuals, and wallpaper.
A full description is here: Catalog-Trade Catalogs 1845-1939 illustrated