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 The
Trade Literature collection, in the National Museum of American
History Library of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries (SIL),
is one of the largest collections of American industry catalogs
and related literature in the world. The collection includes catalogs
and other materials that chiefly span the years 1875 to 1950. Definitions
of the term "trade catalog" vary, but in general, trade
catalogs are printed materials published by manufacturing, wholesaling,
or retailing firms. They promote sales by making advertising claims,
give instructions in using products, provide testimonials from satisfied
customers, and include detailed descriptions of sale products. Trade
catalogs may include prevailing prices, frequently listed on separate
sheets of paper. All in all, trade catalogs are an invaluable source
in studying the social, business, industrial, and advertising histories
of the United States. However, in certain fields, such as scientific
instruments and machine tools, foreign companies are well represented
in the collection. With over 300,000 items from approximately 25,000
companies, the Smithsonian Libraries Historical Trade Literature
Collection is a scholarly resource that tells about the rise of
American industry. Thanks to the donation of several large gift
collections, and the purchase of part of the Franklin Institute
collection, the trade literature continues growing. The Smithsonian
Libraries has just begun exploiting the potential of this undocumented
collection. Cataloging is well under way, and several digital projects
have been completed and can be found elsewhere on SIL's web pages.
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