Sewing
machines and thread were heavily advertised during the late
1800s and, as might be expected, women were the primary
target. Trade cards advertising sewing machines usually
stressed quietness and ease of use, and thread trade cards
frequently showed the thread being used in a fantasy scene
which emphasizes its strength. For example, the trade card
shown here demonstrates the strength of Merrick's Thread by
showing it being used to support a tightrope
walker. This card was printed by The
Burrow-Giles Litho Co., N.Y., and is shown at seventy
percent of its actual size.
