Krakowskie winiety papierów firmowych jako źródło historyczne (połowa XIX – początek XX w.). Zarys problematyki
Kraków letterheads as a historical source (mid-19th century – early 20th century). Outline of the subject

Summary/Abstract: From the mid-nineteenth century, as a way of advertising offered services or products, decorative letterheads were introduced on a larger scale, with the vignette usually including basic information: the owner’s full name, the company name, and sometimes the date of its establishment, address of the company’s headquarters and branches. Over time, the phone number, bank account number, and possible forms of payment were also provided. Ornamental motifs, allegorical figures, attributes of crafts, images of the assort- ment, medals obtained at prestigious competitions, diplomas, awards or certificates, as well as architectural representations of buildings and industrial complexes were used as deco- rative elements. The collections of letterheads from the mid-nineteenth century to 1918, preserved in the National Archives in Krakow, are dated, making it possible to track the fre- quency and nature of the introduced changes, reflecting the company’s history. The article presents an analysis of letterheads with vignettes of the well-known company of Maurycy Baruch (1800–1874) and his sons, Emil (1832–1886) and Gustaw (1838–1907), operating in Podgórze and Łagiewniki. Based on the preserved letterheads with vignettes and adver- tisements, the sheet metal company of Władysław Kosydarski (1851–1919) operating in a tenement house in Kraków’s Market Square in the years 1878–1917 is also presented.

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