Service Industry Collection (#3)

Doux Souvenir de Fontainebleau, 1886 (1891). Artist: George du Maurier
Doux Souvenir de Fontainebleau, 1886 (1891). A print from Society Pictures, drawn by George du Maurier, selected from Punch, Volume II, London, 1891

Passengers dining room, Zeppelin LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin, 1933. The Graf Zeppelin was the most successful airship ever built

Dining room, Grand Union Hotel, Saratoga, New York, USA. Artist: BW Kilburn
Dining room, Grand Union Hotel, Saratoga, New York, USA. Stereoscopic card detail

The Luncheon Room at the Town Hall, Birmingham, West Midlands, 1887. A print from The Illustrated London News, 2nd April 1887

An Arabian coffee house, Cairo, Egypt, c1920s. Plate taken From In the Land of the Pharaohs, published by Lehnert & Landrock (Cairo)

Hotel des Princes. (Table D Hote), c1843. Artist: Lumb Stocks
Hotel des Princes. (Table D Hote), c1843

A Rakes Progress - 3: The The Orgy, 1733. Artist: William Hogarth
A Rakes Progress - 3: The The Orgy, 1733. Tom Rakewell is in the Rose Tavern, on Drury Lane, London, being relieved of his pocket watch by two women

Dining Room of the Garrick Club, 1897. From Old and New London Vol 111 by Edward Walford. [Cassell and Company Ltd, London, 1897]

Hanging up the Washing, 1913. Artist: Jean-Simeon Chardin
Hanging up the Washing, 1913. Attributed to Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin. A print from The Art of the Great Masters, by Frederic Lees, Sampson Low, Marston and Co, London, 1913

A study in Sanguine, 1913. Artist: Jean-Antoine Watteau
A study in Sanguine, 1913. A print from The Art of the Great Masters, by Frederic Lees, Sampson Low, Marston and Co, London, 1913

St Raphael Quinquina, 1938. Plate taken from Plaisir de France (December, 1938)

The Garden of Pere Lathuille, 1879 (1938). Artist: Edouard Manet
The Garden of Pere Lathuille, 1879 (1938). Found in the collection of the Musee des Beaux-Arts, Tournai, Belgium. Plate taken from Manet, by Robert Rey, published by William Heinemann Ltd (1938)

A tavern at Montparnasse, Paris, 1931. Artist: Ernest Flammarion
A tavern at Montparnasse, Paris, 1931. Illustration from the book Paris published by Ernest Flammarion, (1931)

People at a well-known Parisian pavement cafe, 1931. Artist: Ernest Flammarion
People at a well-known Parisian pavement cafe, 1931. Illustration from the book Paris published by Ernest Flammarion, (1931)

People at a pavement cafe, Paris, 1931. Artist: Ernest Flammarion
People at a pavement cafe, Paris, 1931. Illustration from the book Paris published by Ernest Flammarion, (1931)

Javanese coffee house, Trocadero, Paris World Exposition, 1889, (1900). Artist: Ewald Thiel
Javanese coffee house, Trocadero, Paris World Exposition, 1889, (1900)

Monster festival for railway employes at Crewe, 1861. Banqueting tables full of workers at Crewe, one of the main interchanges, and the home of many railway employees

A Maidservants Breakfast, 1880s. Artist: Constantin Emile Meunier
A Maidservants Breakfast, 1880s. Meunier, Constantin Emile (1831-1905). Found in the collection of the State A. Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow

Laundresses, 1846. Artist: Ignati Shchedrovsky
Laundresses, 1846. Found in the collection of the State A Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow

Grandure and decadence. The front cover of the Le Petit Journal Illustre

Palace Hotel Car, Union Pacific Railroad, c1870. Artist: A R Ward
Palace Hotel Car, Union Pacific Railroad, c1870. A black waiter serves customers on board a train. Illustration from Adventures of America, 1857-1900, by John A Kouwenhoven

Bar Tabarin, c1905. Artist: Edmond Lempereur
Bar Tabarin, c1905. Found in the collection of Hermitage, St Petersburg, Russia

Porteurs de Palanquins, 1828. Artist: Jean Henri Marlet
Porteurs de Palanquins, 1828. A print from L Inde Francaise, 1828. Found in the collection of Jean Claude Carriere

They are hot, 1799. Artist: Francisco Goya
They are hot, 1799. Plate 13 of Los caprichos. Los Caprichos were published in 1799 at a time of social repression and economic crisis in Spain

Communication by speaking tube, c1850. A waiter serving clients in a restaurant, speaking to chefs at work in the kitchen on the floor below, using a speaking tube

A Misnomer, Surely!, 1880. Artist: George du Maurier
A Misnomer, Surely!, 1880. A large party of Cooks Tourists queueing outside a restaurant. Cartoon from Punch, 25th September 1880

Banquet, 11th century; showing three men being waited on at a table. The central figure and that on the left are tonsured. After an English Psalter

A elephant in the Pre-Catalan Cafe, Toulouse, France, 1891. Artist: Henri Meyer
A elephant in the Pre-Catalan Cafe, Toulouse, France, 1891. A print from a supplement to the Le Petit Journal, 14th November 1891

Feast at Louveciennes, 1771. Artist: Jean-Michel Moreau
Feast at Louveciennes, 1771. Feast given by Madame du Barry (1743-93) for Louis XV on 2nd September 1771 at the inauguration of the Pavillon at Louveciennes

Table Service of a Lady of Quality, 15th century
Table Service of a Lady of Quality ; French noblewoman dining with members of her household, 15th century. The noblewoman is being waited on by servants and a butler wearing tunic

Dinner time in the first class dining saloon of an Atlantic steamer on a stormy day, c1890. From The Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril & Heroism by F Whymper

The Service Franchise, 1884. Artist: Joseph Swain
The Service Franchise, 1884. The footman complains to the maid that household servants were not going to be recognised with the right to vote. This relates to the recently introduced Franchise Bill

Causation, 1882. A long-awaited boiled egg arrives, the servant having a different idea of time from her finely-clad mistress. From Punch, or the London Charivari, October 21, 1882

Humble Pie, 1872. Artist: Joseph Swain
Humble Pie, 1872. Mr Bull, the representative of the British people, is presented with a second humble pie by Mr Gladstone in his waiters outfit

Hot Pies!, 1879. Artist: Joseph Swain
Hot Pies!, 1879. A group of politicians are devouring pies representing countries. Lord Lytton, the viceroy of India, dressed as a waiter, brings another pie, to which Disraeli ( Master Benjamin )

Tree lights outside a hotel in Incheon Seoul South Korea
Ashley Cooper / SpecialistStock

The galley of an Air korean flight
Ashley Cooper / SpecialistStock

An Air korean flight
Ashley Cooper / SpecialistStock

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The service industry has a rich and diverse history, as depicted in various artworks throughout the centuries. In "Revelling with Harlots, plate III of A Rakes Progress" from 1735, we catch a glimpse of the lively atmosphere of an establishment where pleasure-seeking individuals indulge in their desires. Fast forward to 1933, and we witness the marvels of technology with the Galley Zeppelin LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin. This magnificent airship revolutionized travel and brought luxury service to new heights. In "Sloppy Joes Bar, Havana, Cuba" captured in 1951, we are transported to a vibrant watering hole where locals and tourists alike gather for drinks and good times. It serves as a reminder that bars have long been essential social hubs within the service industry. Moving on to more mundane yet crucial aspects of this sector, "Shirt pressing at a commercial laundry in Scunthorpe" portrays the meticulous work done by laundry professionals in 1965. Their attention to detail ensures that customers receive crisp and perfectly pressed garments. Similarly highlighting behind-the-scenes operations is "Scenes in a laundry, " an artwork from 1884 showcasing workers diligently tending to piles of linens. These unsung heroes play an integral role in maintaining cleanliness and orderliness within our communities. Meanwhile, car washes have become synonymous with convenience and efficiency over time. The image titled "A 1961 Austin Westminster in a car wash" captures this sentiment perfectly while reminding us how vehicle maintenance is also part of the vast service industry landscape. Stepping into another era entirely brings us to Paris' Quai de Billy circa 1889 when The Duval Restaurant stood proudly along its banks. This iconic eatery catered not only delicious food but also impeccable customer service—a testament to how restaurants have always played an important role within this dynamic field. Advertising has long been intertwined with services offered.