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 right and the materials from the Sears Archive to the left? (Click on the logo at the bottom) 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".
I am offering a two for one special this week. That seems appropriate as we turn our attention toward consumption. In the Gilded age consumption meant Tuberculosis. But we're using it in the modern sense of the word. We'll see that both the habits of consumption and the methods of marketing turned a corner during this era and began to resemble techniques which still get us to empty our wallets today.
I'm hoping to get people talking about "their" houses on Thursday the 20th. If everyone doesn't get a chance, we'll continue on Tuesday the 25th, and then we'll shop till we drop. Be prepared to share your shopping excursions as well. I've made some adjustments to the bridges site which will make much easier for you to store resources for the journal project, and to post your progress in your blog.
