ABSTRACT
The desire of the print collector to create artificial rarity in prints produced as multiples was an important factor in the increasing profile of etching in the print market. Co-existing with these strategies was a developing market for etchings as luxury goods which reflected changes both in the art market and in the sale of goods in society as a whole. Broadly speaking, over the course of the nineteenth century a shift occurred from specialized shops, in which the customer requested goods which might then be made to their individual requirements and priced accordingly, to a range of shops (including department stores) which advertised, displayed and sold readymade, fixed-price, branded goods to a large clientele who were free to browse and select without obligation. 1 The Etching Club's existence spanned this period of change, and the different methods its members used to sell and package their work between 1838 and 1885 are indicative of these shifts and reveal a shrewd business sense and an ability to adapt to changing circumstances which must have had considerable bearing on the longevity of the club. Prints as identical multiples were more suited than most fine art objects to adapt to a system of identical commodities produced for distribution rather than made to order. The club took advantage of this potential and moved from selling luxury limited-edition illustrated books by subscription to the sale of illustrated books in larger editions through the art unions and finally to the display of their work at exhibitions. This process was not one of linear development, and different systems of selling work overlapped according to the opportunities available to the club at particular times.
