What kind of store would the department store be in the 1880s?

William R. Leach, Transformations in a Culture of Consumption: Women and Department Stores, 1890-1925, The Journal of American History, Vol. 71, No. 2 (Sep., 1984), pp. 319-342

This article explores the history of department stores. Leach’s theory is that, as department stores developed new marketing techniques, they introduced women to new ideas about themselves and new expectations for their lives.

For this assignment, write a story—based on Leach’s article—about a typical woman shopping in a department store in the 1880s. What kind of life would she have? What kind of store would the department store be in the 1880s? What would she encounter in the department store? The story should demonstrate familiarity with the Leach article and knowledge of the history of women and department stores in the mid-1800s. An ideal essay will be a slice of life for the main character who is experiencing the department store. It should be rich in images, examples and detail to make the story come alive with sights, sounds, smells and tastes.

Last Completed Projects