NYC Gazette

Art of Commerce: Trade Catalogs in Watson Library presents a curated selection from the library's extensive collection of sale catalogs. The library houses nearly two thousand trade catalogs published globally from the eighteenth century to today. Featured objects include furniture, jewelry, tiles, ironwork, glasswork, lighting, stoves, tableware, textiles, decorative paper, artist’s materials, fashion items, typography works, automobiles, and musical instruments. Numerous catalogs illustrate artworks or related objects now part of The Met collection.

The library boasts strong holdings of Art Deco trade catalogs such as "Modern furniture design = Le dessin moderne des meubles," a vibrant furniture portfolio by Czech architect Karel Vepřek; and "Van Clef Arpels présentent," an elegantly illustrated accessories publication designed by Draeger Frères—renowned graphic designers and printers of that era. Both are displayed in the exhibition.

Trade or sale catalogs—also known as commercial or manufacturer's catalogs—are printed publications advertising products within a specific trade or industry. Sale catalogs were commonly used in shops or showrooms to promote company products. Notable examples include Reed and Barton's massive 1885 catalog "Artistic workers in silver & gold plate," illustrating the company's entire inventory. Automobile promotion through creative catalogs is also notable; examples range from vivid brochures to oversized showroom copies with moveable diagrams and transparencies meant to intrigue customers—including those for 1953 Chevrolet and 1961 Buick models.

Sale catalogs serve as valuable resources for determining object dates and authenticity while reflecting their historical moments expressively. They often represent innovative printing and graphic design examples used by manufacturers to best illustrate their products. Watson’s trade catalog collection includes striking illustrations reproduced using lithography, chromolithography, embossing, and pochoir techniques.

Among the more unusual items is a German Art Nouveau-inspired cake decorating book from 1910 and a 1934 baby carriage catalog offering Art Deco styled tubular steel baby prams—showcasing major art movements distilled into everyday objects.

The earliest featured catalog is "Muster zu Zimmer-Verzierungen und Ameublements," a neo-classical interior design catalog by luxury German manufacturer Voss und Compagnie. It offers complete rooms available for purchase en masse or individually with richly toned hand-colored engravings detailing object designs.

One of the most fragile yet weighty exhibits is "Album des principaux modeles de verres: produits spéciaux en verre coulé." This magical trade catalog features sixty-five intact glass samples manufactured by French glassmaker Saint-Gobain—a company founded during Louis XIV's reign that remains active in construction glass production.

Maison Garnier's majestic ironwork catalogue has pink-tinted papers bound in Morocco leather as Rémy Garnier’s special copy—the son of its founder—with bold blind-stamped initials on its cover.

An unexpected highlight is "Urinoirs," illustrating decorative ironwork structures adorning Paris streets from the 1840s through mid-twentieth century—demonstrating an impulse towards beautifying urban street life across cities like Paris.

Many trade catalogs have been digitized while all are accessible at Watson Library’s Florence and Herbert Irving Reading Room after this exhibition concludes early March 2025; further information about accessing these resources can be found here.