Lyford “Sells all Sorts of Leather. Wholesale and Retail. N.B. The original shop for Knapsacks”, but his trade card is clearly directed towards the military, during a time of conflict – which at this date would be the American Revolution. The elaborate cartouche, engraved by William Clark, is adorned with standards, artillery and figures of ancient and modern warfare, beneath the whole is an anonymous poem: “our Heifers Coats more useful spoils afford; They yield the Trav’ller sack, the Victor’s hoard,.. Britannia’s fleets each Piece of Oak demand. And Hearts and Arms of Steel protect our Land”. The knapsack, was the soldier’s pack, used mostly for carrying his iron rations.

Heal notes that the “Directory” for 1777 gives Lyford’s address as here, moving to 463 The Strand by 1784. This card was reproduced in “Ellis’ ‘Catalogue of Trade Cards’ as frontispiece, Issue No.21, following Hodgkin Sale 1914”.