Trade Card of the Gunmaker Samuel Brunn (active 1795–1820) 1792 - 1808

This trade card, made in the late 1700s or early 1800s, advertises the services of Samuel Brunn, a sword cutler and gun maker. It's an etching, a printmaking technique where lines are incised into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. Brunn was clearly aiming for an upscale clientele; the card declares him to be a supplier to the Prince of Wales and Duke of Clarence. The printmaker has surrounded the text with weaponry and royal heraldry. The image is a direct appeal to power. What's fascinating is how the graphic quality of the print mimics the precision and detail expected in fine arms. The etcher's skill mirrors that of the gunsmith, both trades demanding meticulous control and technical expertise. This wasn’t just advertising; it was a demonstration of craft, suggesting that Brunn’s business offered quality worthy of royal patronage. It blurs the boundary between commercial ephemera and artistic expression.