Visit The Founders of Sears, Roebuck And Company.This is a student project produced at the American Culture Studies program at Bowling Green States University. Follow the links and get some sense of the importance of this merchandising giant in the 1890s. Imagine your alter ego's encounter with Sears.
This class period we'll look at changes in American patterns of consumption, which include the creation of a new shopping environment, the Department Store, and a perfected merchandising tool made possible by improvements in mail delivery and in the railroads, the mail order catalog.
The new emphasis on spend, spend, spend, and have, have, have was not without its critics, both then and now. How much good that criticism did--we're still consuming.
Everything one sees in the picture below could bed purchased through Sears and Roebuck's Magic Book. By 1908, Sears was even selling houses by mail order. Like the one above the Table of Contenxt. Click on the picture to learn more about them. To learn more about other housel styles available in the 1890s, click here.
Just because critics advised against against a life based on "shop 'til you drop" doesn't mean you or your alter-ego have to agree with them. Why not do a little Christmas Shopping, using the gift book to the rightand the materials from the Sears Archive to the left? Want clothes? clocks? golf equipment? chairs? They're all there.
We'll do "show and tell" on this. during class.
A consuming culture is also an advertising culture. We have to be told what we can't live without. You might enjoy perusing other advertising materials from the time. Duke Universityhas kindly provided you with many primary sources. Construct a wish list from them and add that to your journal. Be ready for "show and tell".
For Friday, April 2
There is no class today, the beginning of "Spring Holiday". For those of you who celebrate, Happy Easter, Happy Passover.
