-Electric Safe- still bank c. 1904

The St. Louis Manufacturing Company made this -Electric Safe- still bank out of metal sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Mass-produced banks like this one were often given to children in the USA to encourage the virtue of thrift, promoting the idea of personal financial responsibility. The bank resembles a safe deposit box, often found within the walls of a larger bank. Its visual codes speak to institutional trust: the words 'Citizens Savings Bank' are emblazoned across its face, and the descriptor 'Electric Safe' suggests cutting-edge technology. But it is important to remember that the popularization of this kind of item coincided with a period of vast expansion in the financial sector and little government oversight. So the reassuring message of this ‘safe’ might also be read with some degree of skepticism. To understand the function of this artifact, we can research the history of banking, advertising, and manufacturing to better understand the cultural norms of the time. These sources help us see how art is shaped by - and comments on - the social structures of its time.