Advertisers in the nineteenth and early twentieth century pushed the
boundaries of printing, manipulated language, inspired a new form of art
and exploited many formats, including calendars, bookmarks and games.
This collection of essays examines the extent to which these standalone
advertisements - which have survived by chance and are now divorced from
their original purpose - provide information not just on the sometimes
bizarre products being sold, but also on class, gender, Britishness,
war, fashion and shopping. Starting with the genesis of an advertisement
through the creation of text, image, print and format, the authors go on
to examine the changing profile of the consumer, notably the rise of the
middle classes, and the way in which manufacturers and retailers
identified and targeted their markets. Finally, they look at
advertisements as documents that both reveal and conceal details about
society, politics and local history. Copiously illustrated from the
world-renowned John Johnson Collection of Printed Ephemera and featuring
work by influential illustrators John Hassall and Dudley Hardy, this
attractive book invites us to consider both the intended and unintended
messages of the advertisements of the past.
