Liberty and Mica Axle Grease

Background Notes

This particular primary source is considered a trade card, a popular form of advertising during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Most trade cards provide the name and address of the proprietor and the variety of services available, sometimes with vignettes to describe items sold or the place of business. Although there is no concrete definition of a trade card, it is generally a printed notice of goods for sale or services available for the public. Often printed on small hand or "card" presses, trade cards could be created quickly and cheaply. This made trade cards affordable to both the big and small business owners.