Bostonians bought more than just household items and foodstuffs. The following 1716 advertisement reveals the growing market for cultural products in the city.

Advertisements

This is to give notice that there is lately sent over from London a choice collection of musical instruments, consisting of flaguelets, flutes, haut-boys, bas-viols, violins, bows, strings, reeds for haut-boys, books of instructions for all these instruments, books of ruled paper. To be sold at the dancing school of Mr. Enstone in Sudbury-Street near the Orange-Tree Boston. Note, any person may have all instruments of music mended, or virgenalls and spinnets strung and tuned at a reasonable rate, and likewise may be taught to play on any of these instruments abovementioned; dancing taught by a true and easier method than has been heretofore.

Source: Boston News-Letter, April 16–April 23, 1716.