The Stories in Historic Adverts 

Exploring old posters, leaflets, and catalogues, we see glimpses of stories, from pier performances to the food people bought. The fact that these adverts weren’t designed to tell stories, but just to sell things makes them, perhaps, even more interesting. Let’s have a look at some items and see what we find.  

Events 

In a time before social media, posters around towns and newspaper adverts were the place to find out about events. They promised entertainment, and a break from the everyday. 

Miss Lucy Nuttall, Llandudno Pier Performance Advertisement (1908), item from Conwy Archive Service: 

An advert for a performance by Miss Lucy Nuttall invites us to an evening on the pier to hear “The Young Contralto”. Piers were, and in some cases still are hubs of entertainment, hosting concerts, magic shows, and more. 

College Ball Posters

The Presidents Ball – Dawns Y LLwydd (2002), item from Roderic Bowen Library and Archives, UWTSD: 

College Ball – Dawns Y Coleg (1986), item from Roderic Bowen Library and Archives, UWTSD: 

The College Ball – Dawns Y Coleg (Undated), item from Roderic Bowen Library and Archives, UWTSD: 

These three posters advertise the College Ball from three different periods illustrating very different ways in which the ball was advertised over the years. 

The Royal Welsh Show, Animal Medicines Catalogue Advert (1904), item from National Library of Wales: 

Certainly less glamourous than the other examples, but no less significant. The existence of a colour printed advert in a detailed catalogue hints at the scale of the event, and how important it was to drum up business. 

Home Life 

Adverts for household goods and Christmas catalogues offer a glimpse into domestic life. 

A Christmas to Remember, Marshall and Ward Christmas Catalogue (1956), item from Powys Archives: 

Full of festive cheer, this catalogue gives us a peek into Christmas past. It’s a reminder that frantic Christmas shopping isn’t a modern invention. 

William Jones Flour and Corn Advert (c.1905), item from North East Wales Archives: 

Home and Colonial Stores Butter Advert (c.1905), item from North East Wales Archives: 

Ino Margarine Advert (c.1905), item from North East Wales Archives: 

Adverts for these everyday items are facinating, what tactics were used to attract business, for many, the focus was their low price. William Jones’ advert chooses a different direction, it doesn’t mention price, but it does definitely attract the eye! 

Pryce Jones Home Furnishing Supplement Catalogue (1956), item from Powys Archives: 

Pryce Jones owned a large warehouse in Newtown, Mid Wales. He pioneered mail order catalogues bringing convenient shopping to homes across Wales, letting people browse and buy without leaving their homes! 

Business and Opportunity  

Trade directories, and local adverts give a glimpse into businesses that shaped lives. 

Bargoed and District Trade Directory (1912), item from Glamorgan Archives: 

Bennett’s Business Directory, Bangor (Undated), item from Gwynedd Archives: 

The advert for “The Emporium Bargoed” comes from the Bargoed and District Trade Directory, advertising “The finest selection in town…without exorbitant profits”! The advertisements in Bennett’s Business Directory list local businesses, each little listing representing someone’s livelihood, from newspapers to launderers, hairdressers to publicans.  

Poster for the South Wales Atlantic Steamship Company from a Trade Directory (1875), item from Glamorgan Archives:

Adverts for emigration like this, encouraging people to leave Wales in search of better opportunities, are powerful reminders of economic hardship. They tell a story of hope, of people willing to cross oceans for a new life.

Education 

Adverts tied to education, and knowledge. 

National Society’s Catalogue of School Apparatus and Materials (1858), item from Roderic Bowen Library and Archives, UWTSD: 

Looking through this catalogue we see listings for class registers, rulers, and pencils. We also see more unusual items, mariners’ compasses, orrery models, even a topographical model of Jerusalem is advertised! We can only wonder how many students were educated with items from this catalogue. 

Typeface Catalogues (c.1950s to c.1970s.), item from Gwent Archives: 

These images come from, the records of Yendall and Co. Ltd., a printing business established in Risca in 1870 by a John Robert Taylor. His assistant Thomas Yendall took over the business in 1878. 

In 1925, the company began the manufacture of ‘Riscatype’ and by 1935 had abandoned printing for typefounding. These are examples of their typefaces catalogues from c.1950s to c.1970s. 

These catalogues give us a view into the art of lettering and print design, a reminder that even the shape of words on a page are a reflection of that era. 

Poster for MA in Landscape Archaeology at University of Wales Lampeter (c.1999/2000), item from Roderic Bowen Library and Archives, UWTSD: 

A wonderfully decorative poster, a low-tech and perhaps old-fashioned way to advertise a MA course. 

Conclusion 

What makes these adverts so fascinating is their ordinariness. They weren’t meant to be preserved as historical artifacts, they were designed to sell products, announce events, or direct people to services. Gathered together though, they become a reflection of the past, of peoples’ lives. 

History isn’t just grand events, it’s also the products that were used, the dances and people went to, and the things normal people did.