Catalogs can provide a wealth of information about the objects of everyday life found in many American homes. Catalogs illustrate prices, advertising methods, trends in purchasing and style, and can be used for actual object identification. In some cases catalogs show the length of time certain items were sold and used without changes in form. For example, almost identical irons are pictured in the Montgomery Ward catalog from 1872 until 1945.

What do catalogs tell us about domestic life in Illinois?