Trade Card of the Gunmaker Samuel Brunn (active 1795–1820)

Samuel Brunn|Anonymous, British, late 18th–early 19th century

1797–1803 · Engraving · Drawings and Prints

In the late eighteenth century, craftsmen in London used customized engraved trade cards, similar to the modern-day business card, as a means of advertising their services and qualifications to potential clients. This is the trade card of Samuel Brunn, the gunmaker responsible for the silver-mounted Neoclassical pistols displayed nearby. Elegantly designed, the card spotlights Brunn’s impressive credentials, including royal appointments and contracts with the Board of Ordnance.

Artist

Samuel Brunn|Anonymous, British, late 18th–early 19th century

Date

1797–1803

Medium

Engraving

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of Bella C. Landauer, 1926