Woodware peddler, 1905

The black-and-white photograph from 1905 shows a peddler presenting his wares to an elderly woman at the front door. Peddlers were independent traders who, unlike commercial agents, worked on their own account. They traditionally offered goods (e.g., food, household items, writings) and services, particularly in rural areas, while also bringing news from abroad. In more remote regions, they were often welcome visitors, selling products that could not be produced or purchased locally.

Woodware peddler, Rahden, 1905, black-and-white photograph, 1905, photographer: Gottlieb Schäffer; source: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schaeffer-Holzwarenhaendler-1905.jpg?uselang=de, public domain.