Victorian Trade Cards of Wheeling
In the late Victorian Era, businesses advertised goods and services with unapologetic flair.
Trade cards, which originated with 18th century French and English tradesmen, were particularly stylish. And the advent of lithography in the 1870s made it possible to mass-produce them in color, ushering a golden age — from 1876 to the early 1900s. Designed to appeal to those expected to do the shopping, the cards were either handed out personally to customers or placed on store counters.
The colorful cards often depicted scenes of beauty, whimsy, and fantasy, making them highly collectible. In fact, trade card collecting and scrap-booking quickly developed into something of a 19th century fad. Many still exist today precisely because they were well-preserved in such scrapbooks.
Longtime Wheeling resident Tony Paree, a passionate trade card enthusiast, collector, and author of the book, Victorian Trade Cards of Wheeling, West Virginia (Creative Impressions 2014), has loaned a nice selection of his Wheeling-themed cards for a new display at the Ohio County Public Library. Currently housed in the main display case, the cards depict an era of thriving retail businesses in late 19th and early 20th century Wheeling.
Trade Cards on Display at the Library
Nicoll’s Art Store
Located near the McLure Hotel on Market Street, Nicoll’s Art Store was one such thriving retail business. It was also an early Wheeling leader during the postcard craze that launched circa 1906. The grouping from Nicoll’s seen at below illustrates the transition from trade cards to postcards. Calendar trade cards like the one pictured are somewhat rarer than regular cards, as they were usually discarded at year’s end.
This real photo postcard pictured below provides a rare view of Nicoll’s storefront, and is from Tony Paree’s upcoming book, which will feature extraordinary one-of-a-kind real photo postcards views of Wheeling.
Here’s a sampling of trade cards from Tony’s scrapbook:
To see more trade cards from Tony’s fantastic collection and learn about their unique histories, read Tony’s book, which is available at the Mt. De Chantal Kroger, Wheeling Artisan Center on Main Street, Words & Music Bookstore at Stratford Springs, The UPS Store on Washington Ave., and Miklas Meat Market in Woodsdale.
Hello. This afternoon I purchased an old and unusual framed print. It features what appears to be Cupid aiming his arrow at three ladies.
On the back is a sticker marked:
Nicoll’s Art Store Fine Gold Frames
Wheeling West Virginia .
I bought it at an antique store on Southside of Parkersburg.
Just thought you might find it interesting. I will try to send a photo.