Between my Pendleton Petticoats series and writing a sequel to The Christmas Bargain, I’ve spent a lot of time recently thinking about life in the 1890s and 1900s.
What type of candy was available at the general store?
What did brooch pins look like then?
What did a set of living room furniture look like?
What silverware patterns were popular?
Did they have crayons? What colors?
What features were highlighted on a brand new kitchen stove?
And about a thousand other questions.
I know I’ve mentioned it before, but a resource I’ve turned to time and time again is a reproduction of an 1897 Sears Roebuck & Co Catalogue.
Less than $15, this little gem has more than paid for itself.
I’ve lost count of the times I’ve flipped through the pages to find answers to my many questions. From perfume to petticoats and farriers’ knives to fishing creels, you’ll find a little bit of everything in this book, which is why I love it so.
It provides such a fun and interesting glimpse into the types of products available during that fascinating time frame of the late 1800s.
If you’re working on a historical novel (or just want to check out all the goodies you could order in 1897) I highly recommend this book. It has certainly helped me not only get my every day details straight, but also provided such a wonderful glimpse into what life was like then.
