Scope and Content of the Collection From the Collection: This is a collection of advertising cards, booklets, and printed ephemera issued by merchants and primarily in the mid to late 19th century in the United States. Merchant and manufacturing industries include clothing and accessories, sewing machines, miscellaneous sewing supplies, thread, patent medicine, dry goods, food products and grocers, coffee, candy, soap, miscellaneous services, books and stationery, Christmas cards, pianos, perfume, insurance companies, printing companies, stoves...