MAGGIE ANDREWS_Shopping for Identity slides

‘Shopping for Identity: Fantasies of
Domesticity in post-war Kay’s
Catalogues’
Dr Maggie Andrews,
Associate Head, Institute of Humanities & Creative Arts,
University of Worcester
[email protected]
• Bourdieu consumption as signifying distinction
• McCracken (1998) suggests consumer
purchases as stepping stones/ rungs on a
ladder to an ideal life / world
• Miller (1997, 1998, 2008 etc) are for the
centrality of material culture / objects to the
practices of relationships
Winter 1954
• ‘Armchair shopping’
• in the comfort of your own home you may leaf
through this catalogue with time to study the
illustrations and facts about things you want
to buy. In no other way can you have the
comfort and convenience which is yours
when shopping by post from the catalogue.
Image © Kays Heritage Group
Image © Kays Heritage Group
Domesticities and housewives identities
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Traditional cosiness
Youthful modernity
Good manager
Thrifty housewife
Domestic guru
Efficient scientific manager
Rational consumer
Image © Kays Heritage Group
Modern Kitchens
Image © Kays Heritage Group
• The streamlined modern Kitchen’ ..which was ‘A joy to
work in’…….. ‘individual colourful Furniture China,
Kitchenware designed to blend with your favourite
colour scheme’ (1957 p 402)
Jury Glass on Steel Jetware
• ‘Life in the kitchen takes on a new cheerfulness when
you cook with Jury Jetware. The saucepans have a
gleaming porcelain enamel body a special vapour –
seal lid, a heat resisting handle in plastic with a disc
and knob - also in plastic- to protect the fingers against
contact with hot surfaces. In the charm of brilliant
contemporary house and garden colours there is no
equal in Jetware’ (1957 p362-363)
Image © Kays Heritage Group
Credit
• ‘This is the kitchen I’ve always dreamed of .. but I
never thought I should get it so soon’ says Jean . Most
of the cooking utensils and furniture were from Kays.
Again Jean and her husband used Kays continuous
credit to increase their buying power when planning
the sort of Kitchen Jean had always wanted ‘ (1957 p8)
• ‘When you buy on easy payments you can buy EXTRA
things.. a new blouse to go with your new
costume….nice things for your home… books and
games for the children’
Distinction
Image © Kays Heritage Group
1960s unstable performance
• Performivity of
domestic
• over the top
• suggesting inherently
instability of domestic
fantasies and identities
Image © Kays Heritage Group