1899 Sears, Roebuck Catalog The expansion of industrialization and completion of the transcontinental railroad created a national market for manufactured goods and led to the growth of consumer culture. The Chicago-based Sears, Roebuck used its mail-order catalog to attract customers throughout the United States and, as its cover suggests, the world. This colorful 1899 catalog offers the latest items in carpets, furniture, china, fashions, and photographic equipment and supplies. The Granger Collection, New York