Commerce Collection

Fortnum And Mason doorway DD88_00094
Fortnum And Mason, 181 Piccadilly, Greater London. Exterior detail of doorway, photographed in September 1985

Whitby Harbour, Yorkshire
19th century vintage photograph: Whitby Harbour, Yorkshire, fishing boats in the harbour

CAPITALIST PYRAMID, 1911. American Socialist poster

Wall St Crash 1929
The Wall Street Crash makes the headlines of the late news issue

Gutenbergs printing press, 1450s
Gutenberg and Fust with the first printing press, Germany, 1450s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Christmas Market in Romerberg, Frankfurt, Germany, Europe

Street scene, Hoi An, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Singer sewing machine ad, 1890s
Advertisement for the Singer Automatic sewing machine, 1890s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

Advertisement for linoleum manufacturers
An advertisement for M Nairn & Co, floor cloth and linoleum manufacturers of Kirkcaldy, Scotland, with premises also in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Paris. circa 1883

WALL STREET: BEARS & BULLS. Bulls and Bears in the Market. An allegorical painting by William H. Beard, 1879

Union Stockyards entrance, Chicago, 1890s
Entrance to the Union Stockyards, Chicago, 1890s. Albertype reproduction of a photograph

Coal mine in England, 1850s
Removing coal in the Bradley mine, Staffordshire, England, 1850s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

London Stock Exchange - The Stock Jobbers Pitches. Date: early 1960s

Vucciria Market, Palermo, Sicily, Italy, Europe

Pedro Miguel Locks, Panama Canal, Panama, Central America

Christmas Market, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany, Europe

LLOYDs OF LONDON, 1890. The Great Room of the English insurance company, at the Royal Exchange in London, England. Line engraving, English, 1890

Medieval goldsmith at work
Workshop of Etienne Delaulne, a goldsmith in Paris, 1500s. Hand-colored woodcut reproduction of a 16th-century illustration

Map of the extent of the Hanseatic League in about 1400. The Hanseatic League was an alliance of about 100 north German towns and trading interests important in northern Europe from the 13th century

Burning the candle at both ends C014 / 1258
Burning the candle at both ends. Conceptual image of a candle that is lit at both ends, representing overwork and exhaustion

CARTOON: ANTI-TRUST, 1889. The Bosses of the Senate. American anti-trust cartoon, 1889, by Joseph Keppler

Marietta on the Ohio River, 1870s
Steamboats on the Ohio River at Marietta, Ohio, 1870s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

BUSN2A-00012
Native Americans exchanging furs for goods at a Hudson Bay Company post. Hand-colored 19th-century woodcut of a Frederic Remington illustration

LEGGY SECRETARY 1920 S
A leggy secretary sits by her typewriter and takes a letter, revealing her suspender in the process

Brisbane skyline, Queensland, Australia

HARLEM NEWSBOY, 1943. A newsboy from Harlem, New York. Photograph by Gordon Parks, 1943
HARLEM NEWSBOY, 1943. A newsboy in Harlem, New York. Photograph by Gordon Parks, 1943, digitally colored by Granger, NYC -- All Rights Reserved

Market Place, Romford, London, England. Date: circa 1904

Farrows Bank Ltd. - The Peoples Bank - 1 Cheapside, London. In setting up the bank, Thomas Farrow wished not only that unsuspecting people in need of money to tide them over a period of temporary

Copy made in Cairo in 1456 of the world map prepared by the Arab geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi (1100-1165) for Roger II (1095-1154) King of Sicily from 1130. In this map, North is at the bottom

Midhurst: West Street, 1903
John Fletcher Collection West Sussex Record Office, Ref No PH 26114/49

President Andrew Jackson destroying the Bank of the United States. Lithograph cartoon, 1828
ANDREW JACKSON (1828). President Andrew Jackson destroying the Bank of the United States. Lithograph cartoon, 1828

American cartoon by Clifford Berryman, c1909, showing President Theodore Roosevelt slaying those trusts he considered
T. ROOSEVELT CARTOON, 1909. American cartoon by Clifford Berryman, c1909, showing President Theodore Roosevelt slaying those trusts he considered " bad" for the public interest while

STOCK MARKET CRASH. An unlucky speculator, one Walter Thornton of New York, offering to sell his roadster after the stock market crash: oil over a photograph, Oct. 30, 1929

Spanish galleon at sea
Spanish galleon, an improved caravel three times longer than wide, used in the 1500s and 1600s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Lobster boat off the Atlantic coast of Maine and Canada
Lobster fishermen in the Grand Manan Channel between Maine and New Brunswick, 1890s. Hand-colored halftone reproduction of a 19th-century illustration

South Street docks in New York City, 1870s
Merchant ships unloading along South Street, New York City, 1870s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Canal transport in the British Isles, The main systems with the navigable rivers (litho)
6008296 Canal transport in the British Isles, The main systems with the navigable rivers (litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

PAXTON, Joseph (1801-1865). Crystal Palace. 1851. First building with revolutionary modular, prefabricated design, and use of glass. Built for the Universal Exhibition of 1851 in Hyde Park, London

ENGLAND: TRADE CHARTER. Act of Parliament, 13 October 1698, establishing the English Company Trading to the East Indies, a rival trade organization to the East India Company; the new company was soon

Hong Kong street scene, 1890s C016 / 4499
Hong Kong street scene. Pedestrians, carts, rickshaws and signs in both Chinese script and English on a hill street in Hong Kong in the 1890s. At the time, this area was a British colony

Midhurst: cottages on Knockhundred Row, 1902
The cottages are now home to Midhursts public library John Fletcher Collection West Sussex Record Office, Ref No PH 26114/52

TUPPERWARE PARTY, 1950s. A Tupperware party in an American home. Advertising photograph, 1950

STOCK MARKET CRASH. Cartoon: New York Stock Exchange on Black Thursday, 1929. Print by William Gropper
STOCK MARKET CRASH. Cartoon: New York Stock Exchange on " Black Thursday", 1929. Print by William Gropper

Chicagos State Street, 1890s
Marshall Field & Co. retail store on State Street, downtown Chicago, 1890s. Albertype reproduction of a photograph

Brooklyn Bridge when newly opened, 1883
Brooklyn Bridge over the East River, looking toward Manhattan, 1883. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Barber shaving a customer with a razor
Barber of 1789 shaving a customer, shown in a Pears Soap ad, 1880s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Cylinder printing press, 1800s
Hoe printing press, showing type locked on the bed and overlays fixed on the cylinder; ink rollers on far right, 1800s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Logging in Wisconsin, 1800s
Hauling logs with a horse-drawn sledge in northern Wisconsin, 1880s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

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Commerce, the lifeblood of economies and the driving force behind global trade. From its humble beginnings to its towering heights, it has shaped societies and transformed nations. In 1450s Europe, Johannes Gutenberg's revolutionary printing press sparked a new era by making books more accessible to the masses. Ideas spread like wildfire, fueling intellectual growth and challenging established norms. Fast forward to 1850s England, where coal mines dotted the landscape. The mining industry boomed as demand for this vital resource skyrocketed during the Industrial Revolution. Commerce thrived on the back of hardworking miners who risked their lives in pursuit of progress. The capitalist pyramid loomed large in American society in 1911. An iconic socialist poster depicted this structure, highlighting how wealth concentrated at the top while workers struggled below. It served as a stark reminder that commerce could be both empowering and exploitative. The Great Depression struck Wall Street with devastating force in 1929. The crash shattered dreams and wiped out fortunes overnight, leaving an indelible mark on history. Yet from these ashes rose resilience and innovation as governments sought ways to rebuild shattered economies. Across continents and cultures, street scenes tell tales of vibrant marketplaces brimming with activity. Hoi An's bustling streets in Vietnam showcase Southeast Asia's rich trading heritage while Vucciria Market in Palermo captures Sicily's vibrant spirit through colorful stalls selling local delicacies. Advertisements have long been integral to commerce's narrative - enticing consumers with promises of quality products or services since time immemorial. A vintage linoleum ad showcases manufacturers' creativity while a Singer sewing machine ad from the 1890s speaks volumes about technological advancements shaping industries. Christmas markets evoke a sense of joyous celebration intertwined with commercialism - none more so than Frankfurt's Romerberg market in Germany. Here, centuries-old traditions blend seamlessly with modern consumerism as locals and tourists alike revel amidst twinkling lights and festive cheer.