Graphic design played an important role in providing the public with information about the department stores. Design also played a role when it came to displaying items in the stores, allowing them to appear more desirable and obtainable. The mass of text on the advertisement states the most important information, such as the event and main products that can be found at the stores.






America in the 1920s was characterized by "conspicuous consumption," which was the growing desire to buy more as a way of displaying wealth, as well as having what was new, bigger, brighter, and more exciting. This design is centered on a purchase that indicates status rather than fulfilling basic needs. The sleek, graceful bodies and short hair indicate the women are flappers, women with a new-found independence. These images could be found everywhere from magazines and posters to films.













The design of this cruise ad promoted mass consumption as an ideal oppurtunity, rather than the reality of most people's lives at the time. The woman's aristocratic appearance, her style of dress, carefully styled hair, and delicate features act as visual metaphors of the "American Dream," and reminded the public of prosperity, a far reach for most during the Great Depression.

In the Public Eye

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