Advertisements in the Warsaw press of the second half of the 18th c. as evidence of adopting western models of consumption

Abstract

Advertisements that appeared in the Warsaw press are a signifi cant and hardly explored source of data to investigate consumers’ behaviour in the second half of the 18th c. Advertisements could be found in the major newspaper of the time Wiadomości Warszawskie (from 1774 Gazeta Warszawska); for a short time there was also a special advertising periodical, Annonces et Avis Divers, in the years 1781–1784 published in three languages: French, Polish and German.Advertisements provided information on new manufactories, often describing their products, but mostly on shops, especially those offering furniture, wall upholstery and clothing. These were probably new establishments, therefore they were advertised in this way. Other announcements of this type concerned goods for sale: some offered a single article or several articles, some presented an assortment of goods brought to Warsaw by a particular merchant. A common occasion for advertising was when merchants wanted to sell out their stock (e.g. advertisements by Warsaw-based merchants of French origin, André and Jan Rousseau).The Warsaw press most commonly advertised foodstuffs, e.g. French wines (champagne and burgundy), Hungarian wines, English ales or imported mineral waters. On the other hand, new stimulants such as coffee, tea, chocolate and tobacco were rarely advertised. Another sig-nifi cant group were textiles, house f i ttings and interior decoration items. Services were also advertised, e.g. chimney repairs, dress-making and hair-styling. Many advertisement concerned various catering establishments, especially French cuisine inns. Finally, all kinds of beauty products and medicaments were advertised as well as medical services. An analysis of 300 advertisements indicates that city dwellers and visitors were offered a wide range of goods and services. Simple everyday things were not represented; selling them did not require such special means and the cost of advertising would have decreased the profit. In the case of more luxurious and expensive goods, on the other hand, providing information and thus reaching potential customers must have been important and the cost of advertising was included in the sales price. Press advertisements were not yet promotion in the modern sense but they applied carefully chosen language, often mentioning low prices or stressing that theitems followed the latest Paris or London fashion. It was important to highlight the high qual-ity of the goods by using descriptions like ‘most exquisite’ or ‘delectable’. Press advertisements refl ect a segment of Warsaw trade and services of the epoch which was fl uid, unstable and transitory. They do not refer to foreign merchants and artisans who had long been known in Warsaw. Nevertheless, they are a well of data on the range of goods imported by those that catered for fashionable tastes.