The Adman in the Parlor : Magazines and the Gendering of Consumer Culture, 1880s to 1910s

How did advertising come to seem natural and ordinary to magazine readers by the end of the nineteenth century? The Adman in the Parlor explores readers' interactions with advertising during a period when not only consumption but advertising itself became established as a pleasure. Garvey argues that readers' participation in advertising, rather than top-down dictation by advertisers, made advertizing a central part of American culture. Garvey's analysis interweaves such texts and artifacts as advertising trade journals, magazines addressed to elite, middle class, and poorer readerships, scrapbooks, medical articles, paper dolls, chromolithographed trade cards, and contest rules. She tracks new forms of fictional realism that contained brand name references, courtship stories, and other fictional forms. As magazines became dependant on advertising rather than sales for their revenues, women's magazines led the way in making consumers of readers through the interplay of fiction, editorials, and advertising. General magazines, too, saw little conflict between these different interests. Instead, advertising and fiction came to act on one another in complex, unexpected ways. Magazine stories illustrated the multiple desires and social meanings embodied in the purchase of a product. Garvey takes the bicycle as a case study, and tracks how magazines mediated among competing medical, commercial, and feminist discourses to produce an alluring and unthreatening model of women bicycling in their stories. Advertising formed the national vocabulary. At once invisible, familiar, and intrusive, advertising both shaped fiction of the period and was shaped by it. The Adman in the Parlor unearths the lively conversations among writers and advertisers about the new prevalence of advertising for mass-produced, nationally distributed products. How Did Advertising Come To Seem Ordinary And Even Natural To Turn-of-the-century Magazine Readers? The Adman In The Parlor Explores Readers' Interactions With Advertising During A Period When Not Only Consumption But Advertising Itself Became Established As A Pleasure. Garvey's Analysis Interweaves Such Diverse Texts And Artifacts As Advertising Scrapbooks, Chromolithographed Trade Cards And Paper Dolls, Contest Rules, And The Advertising Trade Press. She Argues That The Readers' Own Participation In Advertising, Not Top-down Dictation By Advertisers, Made Advertising A Central Part Of American Culture. As Magazines Became Dependent On Advertising Rather Than Sales For Their Revenues, Women's Magazines Led The Way In Turning Readers Into Consumers Through An Interplay Of Fiction And Advertising. General Magazines, Too, Saw Little Conflict Between Editorial Interests And Advertising. Instead, Advertising And Fiction Came To Act On One Another In Complex, Unexpected Ways. Magazine Stories Illustrated The Multiple Desires And Social Meanings Embodied In The Purchase Of A Product. Advertising Formed The National Vocabulary. At Once Invisible, Familiar, And Intrusive, Advertising Both Shaped Fiction Of The Period And Was Shaped By It. The Adman In The Parlor Unearths The Lively Conversations Among Writers And Advertisers About The New Prevalence Of Advertising For Mass-produced, Nationally Distributed Products. Readers Read Advertising Into Their Lives: The Trade Card Scrapbook -- Training The Reader's Attention: Advertising Contests -- The Commercial Spirit Has Entered In: Speech, Fiction, And Advertising -- Reframing The Bicycle: Magazines And Scorching Women -- Rewriting Mrs. Consumer: Class, Gender, And Consumption -- Men Who Advertise: Ad Readers And Ad Writers -- Conclusion: Technology And Fiction. Ellen Gruber Garvey. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 187-220) And Index. Reading the turn-of-the-century magazine, this book resituates the writing of Chopin, Cather, Howells, and numerous unknown writers in relation to commercial as well as literary culture. It investigates readers' responses to the magazines and the reading practices that develop around them