A Cultural History of Shopping was a Library Journal Best in Reference selection for 2022.
The 'consumer revolution' of the 18th century has been the subject of much debate among historians but it seems clear there was also a 'retail revolution': a period of unprecedented growth in material goods was accompanied by a proliferation of retail spaces and techniques which brought new fashions and imported commodities to the homes of consumers.
Governments responded to a growing culture of polite and civilized behavior across society by stimulating urban renewal for leisure and shopping: new pavements, street lighting, green promenades, theatres, coffee houses, and adjacent shopping streets were laid-out everywhere in Europe. As the 18th century drew to its close, ‘shopping’ had become a publicly accepted and celebrated leisure pursuit, gaining its proper meaning in multiple languages.
A Cultural History of Shopping in the Age of Enlightenment presents an overview
of the period with themes addressing practices and processes; spaces and
places; shoppers and identities; luxury and everyday; home and family;
visual and literary representations; reputation, trust and credit; and
governance, regulation and the state.
List of Illustrations Notes on Contributors Series Preface, Jon Stobart Introduction, Ilja Van Damme 1. Practices and Processes, Ian Mitchell 2. Spaces and Places, Clé Lesger 3. Shoppers and Identities, Anne Montenach 4. Luxury and Everyday, Serena Dyer 5. Home and Family, Jon Stobart 6. Visual and Literary Representations, Alison O’Byrne 7. Reputation, Trust and Credit, Tawny Paul 8. Governance, Regulation and the State, Wouter Ryckbosch Bibliography Index
Ilja Van Damme is Professor in Urban History, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
