Trade Card for Downey, engraver 1800 - 1900

This trade card for Downey, engraver, was created in England at an unknown date. The card is full of symbolic imagery associated with both the graphic arts and with British national identity. Downey’s name and business information are presented as if emblazoned on a draped heraldic banner, flanked by trees. To the left is an artist’s easel with an example of Downey’s work, and to the right a regal lion sits beside a shield and spear. Downey is presenting himself as a craftsman, but also as a businessman, using cultural symbols to give himself an elevated status. Trade cards like this are a fascinating source for social historians, who analyze these artifacts as documents of a very particular economic moment. Library and museum collections, along with trade directories, are invaluable resources for understanding the circulation of images and the development of business culture in this period. They help us to understand the institutions and structures that gave shape to the production of art.