Reclamefoto met serviezen en keukengerei van de firma C. Read & Co., Baltimore, Maryland 1920 - 1930

Editor: This photograph, taken sometime between 1920 and 1930 by the Stadler Photographing Company, advertises the C. Read & Co. glassware. It’s a fairly straightforward product shot, but the muted tones and the way the light catches the glass gives it a really elegant feel, even now. What's striking to you about this image? Curator: It speaks to the changing role of photography in shaping consumer culture during that period. Think about it – suddenly you could mass produce and disseminate these aspirational images of domesticity. The $100 price point, prominently displayed, wasn’t just about selling glassware; it was about selling a lifestyle, upward mobility. Editor: So it's less about the glassware itself, and more about what it represents? Curator: Exactly. These kinds of photographs democratized desire. Middle-class families could see these items, aspire to own them, and integrate themselves into this idealized version of American life. It's about fitting in, status…the power of advertising to shape social norms. Editor: It’s interesting to consider how an image like this reflects the aspirations of the time. Were there other ways these companies marketed to potential consumers? Curator: Absolutely. Print advertisements in women's magazines were key. And don't forget about department store window displays, which presented carefully curated domestic scenes. This photo would likely have been part of a broader marketing strategy, reinforcing those messages of sophistication and modernity. How do you think the Art Deco elements visible in the photograph plays a part in consumerism? Editor: I suppose the sharp, clean geometric forms appealed to this same modernizing sensibility of the era? I hadn't quite appreciated how much this image reveals about societal trends. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Recognizing these images as historical documents, and not just pretty pictures, enriches our understanding of the past.