Monday, April 20, 2015

Free Victorian Trade Cards

Victorian Trade Card advertising Sewing Machines

During the Victorian era, people enjoyed collecting advertising cards, which were often very colorful. Today, they are known as trade cards. It was the major way of advertising products, and could be obtained in stores or through salesmen. They were very popular from the late 1800’s until the early 1900’s, when advertising in magazines became more cost effective.  The women spent some of their time pasting their treasured cards in a scrapbooks.


My daughter found one of these treasured Victorian scrapbooks and surprised me with it on my birthday last year. Here is a page from that scrapbook.




Here are a few other Victorian advertising cards, it's fun to read the claims they make. Seems like they could take care of about any problem you had.

Burdock Blood Bitters claims to make pure healthy blood and regulate the female organs, cures female weakness, nervous and general debility, and all the distressing miseries from which two-thirds of the women of America suffer.

Blood Bitters Advertisement


If you had a problem that Blood Bitters couldn't cure, there was always Dr. Thomas Electric Oil. You can see the claims below. I would have been in on the 2 hour backache cure if I lived in the Victorian era.





I hope you've enjoyed today's post. You're welcome to use the images in your artwork or on your blogs/webpages.  Did you notice my new blog look? I'm quite pleased with it and hope you like it as well. If you are receiving this post via email, you can view my blog here: http://littlebirdieblessings.blogspot.com/

Have a lovely day.



10 comments:

  1. Thanks so much Abby, love the flower images, but must admit the claims made me chuckle, clear lameness in 2 hours wow, but cold takes 24 hours :)
    Thanks for sharing, Shaz in Oz.xxx

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  2. Very interesting advertising! Who knew that two-thirds of American women were invalids?! What fun that you were given such a scrapbook for your birthday. A unique and wonderful gift. Yes, I do like the updates here...very nice!

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  3. Such a delightful post. Enjoyed the quick cures with Eclectric Oil and Blood Bitters. Your new blog design is lovely, so attractive. Thanks for all the things you share.

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  4. I like the charming paintings and also the wild claims.

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  5. Oh what claims!! Thanks for the images and smiles Abby - yes I had noticed your blogs make over and think it is beautiful.
    Blessings'
    Maxine

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  6. I love your new header; it says it all and does it so prettily.
    Your daughter knows you very well to give you such a fitting gift. It is lovely.
    I didn't know that about the original ATCs. They made a fairly recent resurgence, but then people started selling them and they seem to have faded off.
    hugs,
    Teresa

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  7. Super post Abby & I DO LIKE the look of your blog! ;)

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  8. What fun things to collect> I love ephemera. Thanks for sharing your lovelies.

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Your comments are blessings to my day.