Printing, pre-press, publishing and photography services – yesterday, today and tomorrow

Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Creation of a Legacy
3. A Legacy Transformed
4. The Virtues of a Middle Class
5. Vested Interest
6. Trading on Conventions
7. Institutionalism Triumphs
8. Lasting Images
9. Conclusion

Vested Interest

Late in the eighteenth century, monumental economic and political change beset America in the form of revolution. America began to reorganize itself into a nation which depended on itself. Founded on Puritan ethics of individual rights and freedom from government oppression, a new political system was instituted. No longer was America required to depend on goods produced in England; manufacturing began to be a primary consideration in American enterprise. The new nation demonstrated great flexibility in meeting the needs of a growing and expanding consumer base which was moving away from centralized urban seacoast areas. Unprecedented canal construction, bridge building, river improvements, road construction, stagecoach transportation, and postal improvements contributed to a national infrastructure committed to the spirit of commerce. As part of the business of America's nascent open market, patterns of entrepreneurship began to emerge (Bailyn 1967; Young 1961).

A strong middle class was necessary for entrepreneurial ventures to flourish. Based on pre-Revolutionary War market needs, proprietary medicines were desired products. To meet the demands of the new marketplace, it was often necessary for the American medicinal entrepreneur to combine science, literary proficiency, and chemistry into the pursuit of a lucrative occupation. Not only did the drug entrepreneur create the recipe for the compound, but was also responsible for packaging, developing advertising copy, and distribution of both advertising and product. It was not unusual for enterprising businessmen to acquire a formula from the established professional compendiums of the day, such as the Pharmacopeia Londiniensis, and "enhance" it, as did the English a hundred years before (Starr 1982; Young 1961).

The American proprietary entrepreneur assumed the bold English promotional methods of printed broadsides and posters, as well as letters of recommendations, newspaper advertisements, the offer of satisfaction, and possibly free advice. Developing transportation and communication networks facilitated market expansion beyond a small locality. Labelled ingredient lists did not necessarily mention every ingredient nor the proportions. An emphasis on potency offered certainty of results, which in turn provided credibility. Dollars back offers afforded a practical inducement for the consumer to purchase the advertised product. Pages of drug advertising appeared in almanacs, while entire catalogs devoted to drugs promised cure-alls for the purchaser. Direct mail to the consumer appealed to customers that were not within range of an urban supply area. Wholesale warehouses for proprietary goods began to develop. Books on self-medicating written by traditional doctors afforded the American public an opportunity of professionalism without the attendant costs of an office visit along with the costly apothecary's fee (Starr 1982; Young 1961).