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Vibrant Victorian trade cards stuck out among a sea of black and white advertising. In the early age of engraved mass publications, chromolithography ushered in a new era of visual media.
Trade cards were popular advertising materials from 1875 to 1900. Typically businesses printed text-heavy advertising copy on the reverse of the card, saving the obverse for an image.
Here, Arbukle Bros. Coffee produced a 50 card set depicting around-the-world travel. This trade card highlights Yokohama, Japan, a treaty port city popular among 19th century tourists.
In reality, the card shows stereotypical imagery of Japan, including costumes, landscapes, and professions easily identifiable to foreign travelers.
The Buddhist icon is unidentified, but this card reveals generic Buddhist imagery was closely connected to the popular image of Japan.
The Buddhas in the West Material Archive is a digital scholarship project that catalogues artifacts depicting Buddhist material culture for Western audiences. It’s comprised of prints, photos, and an assortment of ephemera and other objects. For a brief introduction to this archive, visit the main Buddhas in the West project page.
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Personal Site of Peter Romaskiewicz 