Swatch book

These samples of dress silks from about 1763 are attached to different pages in a travelling salesman's book. They show the range of colour combinations available from the workshops of different manufacturers. Above each group of samples is a heading which reveals the name of the fabrics and their width, their price per ell (about 45 inches) and the initials of the manufacturing company that made them.

The book of samples was used to offer potential customers previews of the forthcoming season's fashionable designs and colours so that they could make orders. The initials for the company titles would have been familiar to the salesman but not to his clients as he wanted to ensure that they made purchases through him rather than directly from the manufacturer. He made his living from the commission he received on his sales.