Hidden Women in the Early Nineteenth-Century Dublin Print Selling Trade: A Case Study of Sarah and Ann Allen

This article reveals the multifaceted roles played by Sarah and Ann Allen in the retailing business of their father, William Allen, who was a specialist retailer in maps and printed images at Dame Street, Dublin from 1779 to 1819. Although the shop was inherited by Allen's sons, Sarah and Ann were important contributors to the family business. The procurement of goods for customers on buying trips abroad, correspondence with customers and the production of copied prints were just some of the various roles they undertook. Examining the case study of the Allen family highlights the overlap in domestic and commercial spaces of the early nineteenth-century Dublin print shop. This article also explores how their ability to cultivate relationships with wealthy female clientele meant that the Allen sisters were integral to their father's business in the early nineteenth century.