Shopping Comes Home: The History of Store Catalogs

by Kimberly Keagan

I'm old enough to remember the excitement of receiving the Sears & Roebuck, JCPenney, and Montgomery Ward catalogs in the mail, especially at Christmas. I'd sit for hours looking at the toys and, when I became a teenager, the clothes. It was the golden age of mail-order. Sears sent out its last catalog in 1993—nearly a century after it published its first, closing a chapter that had shaped how generations of Americans shopped.

Photo courtesy of thecatalogblog.com

 

That chapter began in the late 19th century, when shopping as people had known it for hundreds of years shifted dramatically. Thanks to the rise of the store catalog, the pleasures of browsing and buying arrived directly at the household door. These printed volumes transformed commerce—bringing fashion, household goods, and modern conveniences to an eager public.

Early catalogs were modest publications with simple price lists intended for merchants or rural customers. But by the Gilded Age, they had evolved into beautifully illustrated publications filled with detailed descriptions, persuasive language, and carefully curated selections. Engravings and fashion plates allowed readers to see what they were buying or what they dreamed of buying. Catalogs became entertainment as much as utility. Families pored over them together, circling favorites and discussing possibilities, often long before placing an order. For those living far from major cities, catalogs were nothing short of revolutionary. Rural households could now access the same goods as urban shoppers—ready-made clothing, furniture, tools, musical instruments, and even entire house building kits. Choice expanded dramatically, and with it, a sense of participation in modern life. 

                                     

Photo courtesy of thecatalogblog.com

 
Urban customers, too, embraced catalogs. They allowed for unhurried decision-making and offered a preview of styles before venturing into stores. The catalog bridged distance, time, and social barriers.

Clothing catalogs played a particularly important role. They standardized styles, spread trends rapidly, and introduced customers to silhouettes and accessories once limited to elite circles. Detailed measurements and descriptions helped buyers select garments suited to their needs, while illustrations encouraged confidence—and imagination. Catalog fashion helped shape a shared visual culture, making style more accessible and more democratic.    

                                       

Photo courtesy of Pinterest.

The language of catalogs was carefully chosen. Items were described not merely by function, but by promise—comfort, elegance, durability, respectability. Owning these goods suggested participation in a modern, orderly, and aspirational world. Each page invited readers to imagine improved homes, better appearances, and smoother daily routines.

Store catalogs laid the groundwork for modern retail, influencing how people shopped, planned purchases, and even dreamed about the future. They also left behind a remarkable visual record of everyday life—one that continues to fascinate historians and collectors alike.

In their crisp pages and confident prose, Gilded Age catalogs captured a moment when commerce met possibility. They brought the wider world into the parlor, proving that shopping could be as much about imagination as acquisition—and that sometimes, the most exciting journey began with turning a page. I still think about those hours spent circling toys and clothes on the pages of Sears and JCPenney, and I suspect that's exactly the feeling those first catalog makers were counting on.

 

Kimberly Keagan is a former investor relations consultant and corporate financial writer (not very romantic) who now crafts historical romances filled with strong heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, faith, and a touch of humor. Her debut novel, Perfect, released in May 2025. The fifth book in her Hearts on Display series releases September 9th. When not reading or writing, Kimberly enjoys baking, gardening, watching sports, and researching her family tree. Grab a free copy of her novelette, All Along, by subscribing to her mailing list here.

History of the Grocery Bag

Blogger: Amber Lemus

Photo by Lina KivakaPhoto by Lina Kivaka: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-carrying-paper-bag-1524123/

In today's installment of a History of Ordinary things, we turn to one of the most common activities for this time of year...shopping! If it weren't for this little invention, shopping would be a lot harder, and we'd have to limit what we buy to what we can carry in our two hands. We're speaking of the shopping or grocery bag. Whether you choose paper, plastic, or reusable, the history of this common item will be a fun trivia fact to explore.

Prior to the 1850's, shoppers had to carry their goods in a basket they brought from home, or have goods delivered to their house by the merchant. In those days, when folks weren't buying the amount of items we do today, that worked. But as society shifted, and we began purchasing more goods from stores, and stores widened their range of products, a need arose for a convenient way for customers to carry their goods home.

The first paper bag machine was invented by a guy by the name of Francis Wolle. He was an interesting character, to say the least, because he was not only a phychologist (scientist who studies algae) but also a priest of the Moravian church, AND an inventor. He invented the paper bag machine in 1851. These bags were much like envelopes, similar to the small ones you get at gift card shops. How did the machine work? Well, according to the patent he filed a year later in 1852, "pieces of paper of suitable length are given out from a roll of the required width, cut off from the roll and otherwise suitably cut to the required shape, folded, their edges pasted and lapped, and formed into complete and perfect bags."

Perfect bags, ya'll. The first-ever machine to make such a thing, and ta-da! Perfect. I couldn't help but laugh. Points for salesmanship, my guy.


Anyway, despite his claims of perfection, the bags didn't hold bulky items (like groceries) well, but the invention was still a success. The machine was the foundation for the Union Bag and Paper Company. His company thrived, moved to New York where he opened a paper mill, and then later merged with the Camp Manufacturing company to be known as the Union Camp Corporation. After this merger in 1956, they opened a bag factory in Watertown, MA which was the first bag factory in the United States. The company still exists today under the ownership of International Paper.

I find it pretty amazing that Wolle created a product, became the first to patent a machine to make them, and then became the company that pioneered that brand new industry.

That industry only grew, and in 1871 a female inventor, Margaret Knight designed a machine that made a better paper bag with a flat bottom, which made it able to hold more items. Margaret's story is at least one whole blog post on its own, so we'll cover her next month.

It was Charles Stillwell in 1883 who invented the collapsible brown paper bag we are familiar with today.

It wasn't until 1912 that a Minnesota grocer decided to add handles and a reinforcing cord to the bags. Walter Deubner patented this invention and started selling the bags for about five cents each, effectively inventing the the first paper tote, AND the first reusable tote.

With the new boom in manufacturing, paper bags became cheaper and cheaper to produce. By the 1950's, corporations began to realize that putting their brand on the bags would be a good mode of advertising. And just like that, something as mundane as a shopping bag became a status symbol. I mean, who doesn't want to get caught walking down the street with a crisp paper tote from a high-dollar department store with their brand pasted across the side like a swinging billboard?


Now, if you thought shopping bags reached the limit of potential, as a status symbol, let me blow your mind. Did you know that shopping bags ascended to the level of being a design category and works of art? They've even been featured in the Smithsonian’s Cooper Hewitt Design Museum. Here's a link to one of the pages on the Smithsonian with a display. https://www.si.edu/spotlight/shopping-bags

Now, up until this time, shopping bags were all made of paper. It was a Swedish company that started with a plastic t-shirt type of bag in the 1960's. By the 1980's, most stores were offering the poly bags alongside the paper ones. Since the plastic bags are much cheaper to produce, they've quickly overtaken the paper bags in most regular stores.

But many questions have been raised about the effect plastic bags have on the environment. I moved into a house that had a shopping center behind it. There was a plastic bag stuck in the tree for the two years that I lived there, and it was still in the same place when I moved out. It hadn't decomposed at all, just gotten dirtier and uglier. That's what made me start recycling all of my plastic bags. (If you don't already, please consider recycling these bags. In most areas, it's as easy as bringing them with you to the store and putting them in a box or bin at the entrance.) Because of these environmental concerns, plastic bags are losing popularity, especially in some areas like California. This is what has caused a boom in more Eco-friendly bags made out of various reusable materials.

I hope you enjoyed this brief history of the shopping bag. What type of shopping bag do you prefer? Paper, plastic, or eco? Have you ever kept a shopping bag as a memento? I'd love to hear about bags that were special pieces of art, or status symbols for you. 

*****

Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Lemus inspires hearts through enthralling tales She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".

She lives near the Ozarks in her "casita" with her prince charming. Between enjoying life as a boy mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples.

Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at http://www.amberlemus.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

Shopping in Regency England

by Linore Rose Burkard

"'Take note of this bonnet, Ariana,' Mrs. Bentley said. Ariana obediently surveyed the page open before her and exclaimed, 'How lovely!' It was a novel and elegant little piece of headwear, trimmed in Brussels lace and ribbon and sporting a dashing little ostrich feather. Forgetting her qualms she noted boldly, 'None of my bonnets has a real feather!'"

"We shall look for one just like this," Mrs. Bentley said. "But we do not bespeak bonnets from the seamstress. We shall go to Pall Mall or Bond Street. Even Oxford Street or to a warehouse down on Piccadilly. Some very respectable shops are there, and I want a certain style of Grecian head wreath for you which I feel certain we shall find on Oxford Street." (From, Before the Season Ends)

Ah, shopping. 

One of the challenges historical authors face, depending on the story line, is where to take their heroine shopping. In Before the Season Ends, Ariana Forsythe is faced with being outfitted by her wealthy aunt for a fashionable London season at the height of the Regency--any girl's dream, right? Not for Ariana! Since her Aunt Bentley is fashionable herself, however, she insists upon dragging the young woman along for a foray into London's elite shops for the best of the best.

One such place sure to be on any fashionable lady's agenda was "Harding, Howell and Co.'s Grand Fashionable Magazine" at 89 Pall-Mall. Quite a mouthful, that. But it tells its patrons with no apologies that it is the place for fashion, since the word is in its name. When Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice laments that she must be on hand to show Lydia where all the best warehouses are in London, no doubt she had this place in mind.   

Harding, Howell and Co's Grand Fashionable Magazine

 

Technically a linen-draper's, Harding, Howell and Co.'s sold much, much more than fabrics. And today's multi-level department stores might be taller than their regency counterparts, but make no mistake, HH&C was huge! In addition to the latest French muslins or silks, a lady could purchase the following:

1. Haberdashery of "every description"
2. Lace, gloves
3. Furs and fans
4. "Jewellery"
5. Ornamental articles in ormolu, French clocks, etc.
6. Perfumery and everything necessary "for the toilette"
7. Millinery and dresses
8. All manner of novelties

 Ackermann's Repository gives this description of HH&C:  "..There is no article of female attire or decoration, but what may be here procured in the first style of elegance and fashion." (1809, vol 1 No 3)

As you can see if you look at the above illustration, HH&C had a large circular "solar" window. It was the sort of place that didn't look so very large from outside, but once indoors, you could go on and on and deeper and deeper into a seemingly endless variety of rooms and recesses.  


As a teen and young adult, if I went into NYC with a friend, we could easily spend the whole day shopping at Macy's (yes, the same one from "Miracle on 34th Street").  We'd avail ourselves of the elevator instead of the escalator whenever we could, and elbowing through the crowd, shop til we were ready to drop, literally. Then we had to face the subway or Long Island Railroad to get back home.  (What amazes me is that I thought such outings were fun.) Anyway, a trip to HH&C could easily occupy a regency lady's whole morning, which is when most shopping was done.

Western Exchange, ca.1817

 Another destination sure to appeal to the regency lady or gentleman seeking most anything necessary for fashion was the Western Exchange, located off of Old Bond Street. Similar to a consignment market, sellers rented booths to sell their wares, and one could expect to find a wide range of goods available.  According to one website, the Western Exchange was principally used as a shortcut to the Burlington Arcade (which opened in 1819, and therefore was not available to my regency heroine, who had to suffer the London shops of 1813. But no worries: By the end of the day, like most women, Ariana found it was not such an awful thing to have new attire after all.)

For jewellery, despite the offerings at HH&C and other places, the destination for the fashionable elite was Rundell's. (Rundell, Bridge and Rundell, technically goldsmiths.) Even the Crown commissioned Rundell's when it wanted new pieces, and not only for jewels, but other pieces in gold, silver, bronze and gilt, such as the fabulous centerpiece, below.   

Elegant Regency Centerpiece, 1815

Some of the research tomes on this subject were as fascinating in their titles as the subject matter promises to be: Witness the following, for example: (Links to Amazon provided if they were available there. Most, alas, are not.)

Dress as a Fine Art, by Mrs. Merrifield, 1854

Too rich for my blood, but sounds terrific: Crime, Gender and Consumer Culture in Nineteenth Century England (The History of Retailing and Consumption)


One I could not find but would love to get my hands on:
Necklothitania or Tietania being an Essay on Starchers by one of the Cloth (pub.1818), J.J.Stockdale

(Does that sound like fun or what?)

For the serious fashionistas: Rudiments of Cutting Coats etc.of all sizes to fit the human form by anatomical proportions in conjunction with geometrical principles. Printed and sold by the Author 1819 Thomas Hearn
(Don't you just love the lengthy titles of the past?)

Another amazing title:  A Lady: The Lady's Economical Assistant,or, the art of cutting out, and making, the most useful articles of wearing apparel, without waste; by the....of appropriate and tasteful patterns 1808

Did you enjoy this short peek into regency shopping? Do you have a favorite resource book the rest of us might find illuminating? Please share!