Trade Card for John Hancock, Engraver and Printer 1800 - 1900

This trade card for John Hancock, Engraver and Printer, was made in London, likely in the year indicated on the bill, 1818. The bill is written in ink and contains the name of the client, W. Anderson, and the price for printing 1000 bills. Looking at this trade card, we see the nuts and bolts of the Industrial Revolution in England. Here, commercial activity depended upon a network of engravers and printers. These tradesmen supplied the letterheads, billheads, and trade cards that businesses used to communicate. The price listed on the trade card is 1 pound, 10 shillings. This card provides us with a glimpse into the economic structures that shaped London at that time. Historians look at many resources, such as newspapers and business records, to help us better understand the economic and institutional context of artworks like this.