| Description |
Many American advertising cards in the nineteenth century displayed a variety of visual and rhetorical themes to foster the attention of potential consumers. The appealing elements these cards displayed convinced the public that these easily disposable ephemera pieces were worthy of preservation. In this card for Smith's, two advertising tropes which can be observed are natural imagery and the inclusion of animals.
One of the ways trade card advertisers could compensate for the flat, mundane nature of their paper products was by implementing natural imagery. If a feeling of “naturalness” and “genuineness” was conveyed to the consumer successfully, then the advertised product was more likely to be researched and purchased. Chromolithography, the process of printing color-printed ephemera, allowed trade card authors to create colorful and appealing images which helped to circulate the supposed benefits of their wares. This card consists of a flower, a butterfly, and a perched bird, all impressive printed images which suggest the elegance and, perhaps, high-quality nature of Smith's advertised items.
American advertisers often included animals in their trade cards to charm and increase consumer patronage. Producers were particularly incentivized to make their advertisements visually appealing to children since younger audiences tended to collect and disseminate trade cards to their parents. This card demonstrates this trend by showing a perched bird and a butterfly next to a pink flower, a wholesome image which helps to facilitate favorable attention from consumers.
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| Bibliography |
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