Thomas Calvert, born in Yorkshire (1828) and immigrated to America when he was 21. He worked for several printing companies before moving to Detroit and starting his own firm in 1861. Calvert was a major producer of trade cards from the late 1870’2 to 1900. Thomas Calvert became one of the leaders of the American lithographic industry, and was vice-president of the National Lithographer’s Association when it formed in the late 1880’s.
John Bufford and his sons, Frank and Henry, were major producers of trade cards from the 1870’s until the turn of the century. This card is one of a series (numbered 794) that featured sledding groups: dogs, cats, monkeys, and stereotypical caricatures of black children. This card is originally from the Miller Collection.
Julius Bien was born in Germany in 1826 and immigrated to America in 1848 or 49. He opened a lithography studio first with a single press and turned that into a large and successful company by 1900. He produced maps for the federal government, as well as an edition of Audubon’s Birds of America (1860). He was the first president of the National Lithographers Association.
Wemple and Co. in New York were widely known for the stock designs. Stock trade cards accounted for over 80% of trade cards produced. This card for Buchan’s Carbolic Disinfecting Dog Soap, along with a companion card for Buchan’s Carbolic Toilet Soap are two examples of their custom design work.
Mayer, Merkel & Ottmann were probably the largest trade card producers in the 1880’s and 1890’s. The worked out of the Puck Building on Houston St NY and ran 34 steam lithographic presses and employed 450 workers.
The Speaking Dog card was printed by A. Gast & Co., and issued in 1885. This was the only trade card that Gast did for a Shepard Hardware Co. bank. This card was issued with a white border, in this example the border has been trimmed.
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