“Such stuff as dreams are made on” – William Shakespeare
The Paris exposition in 1900 gives
birth to the pivotal union between imaginative desires and material ones
(Crowley & Heyer 2011). As the evolution of non-materials needs was being
fulfilled somewhat by religion and art up to the nineteenth century, the
transcendence of imagination into reality through consumerism had not yet
completely come of age. The untapped nature of consumerism was emancipated by
the flamboyance and ingenuity of the French among others. Notable is the
association of all things being magnificent when the French, fashion, art and
design are present. By the end of the nineteenth century consumer goods, rather
than the usual suspects of culture became obtainable objects of desire (Crowley
& Heyer 2011).
During this period of time
department stores became palaces of pleasure for the emerging movement of
consumerism. The mid to late nineteenth century introduced societal changes.
The shopping experience became an interaction of freedom and liberty to indulge
in dreams. Department store magnates recognised the opportunity for business
practices never implemented before this time. Price fixing replaced a societal
expectation of negotiation or bartering. Interchange of communication between
retailer and consumerism took the place of a passive or mute response of
consumer to things (Crowley & Heyer 2011). The civilising process of consumerism began, and in present day with the aid of technology and the desire for
technology – the leap from that point to the obsessions of today’s consumer
society, are insurmountable.
Crowley, D & Heyer, P 2011, Communication in
history: technology, culture, society,6th edn,
Pearson, Sydney.
