Business Advertisement Card: Steele & Price Perfumers

Children were terrific advertising tools in American trade cards, with producers often using charming images of young people to increase consumer sentiments and facilitate a positive reputation for their brands. Also, these children were often depicted as engaging in consumer lifestyles, a trend that their peers found inspiring. Additionally, some advertisers used sympathy for children–often depicting them as downtrodden or impoverished–to advertise the negative issues of industrialized society. This card for Steele & Price Perfumers demonstrates this trend by including an elaborately dressed boy and girl painting an advertisement for Steele & Price on a wall. The intent of this wholesome image is to facilitate favorable attention from consumers while also framing the products as child-friendly and family oriented.

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