How did the advertisers of the past sell magnetic corsets, carbolic smoke balls or even the first televisions? Which celebrities endorsed products? How did innovations in printing techniques and packaging design play a part in the evolution of advertising? And what can these items tell us about transport, war, politics and even the royal family? 'Vintage Advertising: An A to Z' takes a fresh look at historical advertising through a series of thematic and chronological juxtapositions. Richly illustrated from the John Johnson Collection of Printed Ephemera at the Bodleian Library, this book features a range of topics from Art to Zeitgeist, showcasing how nineteenth- and early twentieth-century advertisements often capture the spirit of their age and can be rich repositories of information about our past.

The John Johnson Collection is one of the world's most important collections of printed ephemera. This exhibition catalogue focuses on just one of the many subject areas of the collection: trades and shops. Beginning in an age before street numbering, with evocative hanging shop signs and roaming street criers laden with their wares, and ending in the confident days of the Great Exhibition and its aftermath, this exhibition catalogue provides an overview of the development of trade. The catalogue is richly illustrated with contemporary trade cards, bill headings, prints and games, many of which have not been previously reproduced. These miniature works of art depict shops and products, tradesmen and trades and give us fascinating insights into the wealth of imported goods available, and into the roles of a apprentices, women and itinerant tradesmen. It comes with a full bibliography and an index. Published to accompany the exhibition at the Bodleian Library in 2001, this catalogue is fully-illustrated in colour.

Advertisers in the nineteenth and early twentieth century pushed the boundaries of printing, manipulated language, inspired a new form of art and exploited many formats, including calendars, bookmarks and games. This collection of essays examines the extent to which these standalone advertisements - which have survived by chance and are now divorced from their original purpose - provide information not just on the sometimes bizarre products being sold, but also on class, gender, Britishness, war, fashion and shopping. Starting with the genesis of an advertisement through the creation of text, image, print and format, the authors go on to examine the changing profile of the consumer, notably the rise of the middle classes, and the way in which manufacturers and retailers identified and targeted their markets. Finally, they look at advertisements as documents that both reveal and conceal details about society, politics and local history. Copiously illustrated from the world-renowned John Johnson Collection of Printed Ephemera and featuring work by influential illustrators John Hassall and Dudley Hardy, this attractive book invites us to consider both the intended and unintended messages of the advertisements of the past.