1895 Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalogue & Buyers' Guide

"Our mail order methods meet many wants," wrote a poetic but anonymous copywriter on a page of the 1895 Montgomery Ward & Co. catalogue. He had a gift for understatement. At its zenith from the 1880s to the 1940s, Montgomery Ward, like its cross-town Chicago rival, Sears, sold virtually everything the average American could think of or desire—and by mail. This was a revolution, and Ward's fired the first shot. This unabridged facsimile of the retail giant's 1895 catalogue showcases some 25,000 items, from the necessities of life (flour, shirts) to products whose time has passed (ear trumpets). It is a true record of an era.

656 pages. 8-1/2 x 11. Fully illustrated with B&W photos and line drawings. Soft cover. ©2008. $17.95. ISBN 1602392382.