Two old catalogues show a product with the same name. One illustration has a different handle; one description gives a different dimension. The differences deserve a careful comparison before becoming a story about design change.
Give each listing its own row
Record catalogue title, publication information, page, product name, model code and stated dimensions. Keep the source link or collection identifier with the row.
If the catalogues are undated, do not arrange them in chronological order just because one drawing looks older. Record any proposed dating and where it came from.
Compare stated features separately from drawings
An illustration can simplify, reuse or omit details. Write “the drawing depicts a curved handle” separately from “the specification states a curved handle”. Those are related but different pieces of evidence.
For an illustrative comparison, two listings may share a name while one includes a suffix in its model code. That small label could be more useful than the broad similarity of the pictures.
Form a limited conclusion
You might conclude that the listings describe different configurations, while leaving the reason unresolved. Regional editions, optional parts and changes over time are questions to investigate, not interchangeable explanations.
Retain the original wording when a term is unclear. Our guide to historical advertising claims helps distinguish a product description from the promise surrounding it. A comparison table should expose differences before trying to explain them.