Tag: Commerce/consumerism

194X and 9/11: Are the repercussions really that easy to compare?

October 12, 2011

A Zurn plumbing pamphlet features men planning for 194X. An exhibit at MoMA has chosen to tackle the ways in which the post-9/11 era might mirror 194X in terms of architectural revolution. (Image from A New Era of Building is Only Marking Time, Erie, Penn., J.A. Zurn Manufacturing Company, 1944.) BY ANDREW SHANKENAssistant professor of … More 194X and 9/11: Are the repercussions really that easy to compare?

On accessories: Why do we study the habits of dress, and what happens when it gets taken to an entirely new level (as with Shanghai)?

July 6, 2011

Should anyone think that pondering over the significance of clothes is a frivolous practice, let us read what William James had to write about them: “The old saying that the human person is composed of three parts — soul, body, and clothes — is more than a joke. We […] appropriate our clothes and identify … More On accessories: Why do we study the habits of dress, and what happens when it gets taken to an entirely new level (as with Shanghai)?

Examining Ghana’s use of intellectual property law to protect adinkra and kente fabrics

April 27, 2011

In Ghana, adinkra and kente textiles derive their significance from their association with both Asante and Ghanaian cultural nationalism. In her new book The Copyright Thing Doesn’t Work Here, Boatema Boateng, associate professor of communication at the University of California, San Diego, focuses on the appropriation and protection of adinkra and kente cloth in order … More Examining Ghana’s use of intellectual property law to protect adinkra and kente fabrics

Doug Hoverson: The long history of beermaking in Minnesota

March 2, 2010

In celebration of the August Schell Brewing company’s 150th anniversary, MPR yesterday interviewed Ted Marti, CEO of the company, and UMP author Doug Hoverson (Land of Amber Waters) to offer context on the historic significance of beer and breweries, which were often family enterprises, in Minnesota. Check out the entire interview here. (And catch a … More Doug Hoverson: The long history of beermaking in Minnesota