22nd Annual Student Research Conference
Advertising in the Nineteenth Century: Railroads and American Culture
Taylor L. Klein
Dr. Sara Orel, Faculty Mentor
The advertisements of American railroads in the nineteenth and early twentieth century capitalized greatly on traditional gallery artwork. Through a combination of recognizable imagery and iconography which sampled from well known artists of the time period, the railroads established their own catalogue of imagery. The imagery serves not only as a mechanism to sell product, but also as a document of the social and cultural history of the era. I examine the imagery literally and contextually, analyzing the relationship between culture and advertisement. The result is the fascinating dynamic of the historical and cultural value of art and visual culture.
Keywords: history, art, america, advertising, railroad, visual culture
Topic(s):Art History
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 28-1
Location: OP 2210
Time: 9:45