Advertising and the Transformation of American Society, 1865-1920

James Norris (Autor)

Buch | Hardcover

224 Seiten

1990
Praeger Publishers Inc (Verlag)
978-0-313-26801-4 (ISBN)

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In the period between 1865 to 1920, as America shifted from a rural-farming economy to urban-manufacturing, a major transformation also occurred in the behavior of the country's consumers. This change is perhaps best illustrated in the advertisements that appeared in popular magazines. They began by simply informing consumers of the cost and availability of a product, but, by 1920, they were projecting an image that defined the American dream in terms of a consumption ethic. In this historical analysis of advertisements, James Norris explores this transformation of society and its ads, and the role that advertising played in developing a national market for consumer goods, creating demand for mass-produced items, and shifting the consumption habits of Americans.

Focusing primarily on popular journals and magazines with national circulations, Norris traces how, by the 1920s, America had become a society in which consumption and spending had replaced old virtues. He examines a number of issues affecting this change, including how national markets developed, how consumers were convinced to buy products they had never seen before, what appeals manufacturers used to build markets, and how consumers were persuaded to purchase items that had previously been produced locally or in the home. Other factors that played a role in the transformation are also considered, such as the breakdown of localism, an increasingly educated citizenry, the potential for mass production, and a growth in per-capita income. Whenever possible, the advertisements themselves have been quoted and reproduced, fully illustrating Norris' premise that they are mirrors of the society that produced them. This study will be an important resource for courses in business history, economics, women's studies, and the history of advertising, as well as a valuable addition to college, university, and public libraries.

JAMES D. NORRIS is Professor of History and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Northern Illinois University. His previous books include Frontier Iron, AZn: A History of the American Zinc Company, Politics and Patronage in the Gilded Age (with Arthur Shaffer), and R.G. Dun & Co. 1841-1900: The Development of Credit Reporting in the Nineteenth Century. Norris is a specialist in business and economic history and is currently working on a study comparing the development of businesses on the American frontier.

Preface
The American Economy in Transition
The Men, the Media, and the Message, 1865-1900
Any Fool Can Make Soap
Leisure Time for the Ladies: Bicycles, Cameras, Appliances, and Other Luxuries
Trademarks and Brand Names--Selling the Image
I'd Walk a Mile for a Camel
Advertising Comes of Age
Bibliography
Index

Erscheint lt. Verlag	24.10.1990
Reihe/Serie	Contributions in Economics and Economic History
Sprache	englisch
Maße	156 x 235 mm
Gewicht	482 g
Themenwelt	Wirtschaft ► Betriebswirtschaft / Management ► Marketing / Vertrieb
ISBN-10	0-313-26801-0 / 0313268010
ISBN-13	978-0-313-26801-4 / 9780313268014
Zustand	Neuware