Before I go into why trade cards were saved,
you should know this:
Chromolithography,
sometimes termed " chromo's ",
was a process to print using
ONE STONE for EACH COLOR
in the composition.
Remember - There were no electronic means - No Photocopiers and certainly nothing existed to re-create colors up until the mid-eighteen hundreds!
ARTISTIC QUALITY
Was an important goal for lithographers
and their apprentices. Their hard work
did not go unnoticed, as many high honors
for Achievement were awarded at National
andIinternational Expositions & Fairs.
Why did children and adults save
these colorful pieces of paper?
TRADE CARDS WERE CONSIDERED 'NOVEL' ITEMS!
NOVELTY ONE
Trade cards were COLORFUL !!!
They were different than the
typically found BLACK on WHITE
NOVELTY TWO
The common person
was now able to own beautiful art,
which only the affluent could afford
up until that time.
It did not matter to the masses
that a trade card was NOT produced
by one of the 'Great Master's.
This was a time
when infringements were made
on the original illustrators...
but it did show the workmanship of the lighographer!
NOVELTY THREE
Trade cards were given away free
and to a very LARGE number of people!
Maybe this is when
The Jones' hitched their horses
and started-up their
bandwagon!
NOVELTY FOUR
Advertisers & Lithographers
knew exactly who their audience was...
They knew who would
be saving these cute,
colorful cards...
They knew who to TARGET!
NOVELTY FIVE
Why Trade Cards Were Saved...
Basically...
Trade cards had MASS
APPEAL!
