The Sears Roebuck catalog has been described as “a mirror of our times, recording for future historians the desires, habits, customs, and mode of living.” In 1888 Richard Sears sold watches and jewelry. When he sent out his first printed mailer, it was the start of something that would grow to the size of a large book. Its arrival in American mailboxes was eagerly anticipated. It was said that some Americans thought the catalog was second only to the Bible as the book people most wanted in the home.
