Seed catalog cover, The Storrs & Harrison Co., Spring 1898

Color lithographic seed catalogue cover for the Storrs & Harrison Co. seed company, “Spring 1898.” The cover features an illustration of a Victorian house with an expansive lawn with a circular flower bed in front advertising “Velvet Sod Lawn Grass” on a pale background. The cover is mounted on cardboard within a decorative black and gold printed frame.

Horticultural commerce flourished in the mid-to-late-nineteenth century, and many seedsmen and nurserymen published elaborate trade catalogs illustrated with chromolithographs to boost sales. Until the 1870s, seed catalogues were largely printed lists of the different varieties available with their prices. By the 1880s, many companies were producing sizable booklets with bold-colored detailed illustrations of plants both inside and on their covers, and many were selling additional gardening products as well, such as books, garden furnishings, tools, and supplies. In addition to goods, many of catalogues contained advice on garden layouts, bedding designs, and advice on plant culture. In the face of intense competition in the seed industry, the catalogue was an essential tool for many businesses to market their goods and forge trust with their customers. These catalogues were often so successful that for many seed and plant merchants the catalog was their only salesman, and they did not have to hire agents or traveling salesmen. Lithography, chromolithography and the steam press all contributed to their proliferation, and advances in transportation and mail services led to their widespread distribution. The successful use of catalogues gave seed companies the ability to deploy their products nationwide and bring the consumer together with their goods as speeds previously impossible.

Mounted on cardboard

H. M. Wall Litho. Brooklyn, NY