Description
"Barry Shank's A Token of My Affection advances a complex and compelling argument linking economic structures to profoundly personal emotions. This is an original and insightful book." -- Elizabeth Dillon, Yale University "Theoretically astute, yet sensitive to the particularities and nuances of historical investigations, A Token of My Affection is an impressive and an important book. Rigorously refusing the still too common habit of treating the social history of private life as distinct from the public world of political and economic calculation, Barry Shank traces the intricate relations between them. In so doing, he ventures a sophisticated and consequential argument about the connections among the history of American capitalism, the greeting card industry and the generation of both private and collected affect through the course of the twentieth century." -- Janice Radway, Duke University " A Token of My Affection is a fascinating account of the history of the greeting card in America, taking us on a tour of the industry from its beginnings in the 1840s through corporate consolidation to the present. And more--it's an important exploration of just how our economic and emotional lives are connected. Barry Shank shows that there's no better way of examining what Raymond Williams called 'structures of feeling' than looking at valentines and Christmas cards. His book is full of interesting people, intriguing images, and big ideas." -- June Howard, professor of English, American Culture and Women's Studies, University of Michigan "Greeting cards might seem a banal subject: the mass production of sentiment has after all been a main activity of corporate media. Barry Shank's fine study explodes the banality, showing with insight and finesse how a changing business culture reshaped not just production, from the 1840s to the 1950s, but family, friendship, emotion, and much else. Valentine, Christmas, and later a host of specialized cards both carried and helped solidify new social relationships. The combination of sympathetic analysis and historical sweep in A Token of My Affection -- along with the sensuous imagery of hundreds of reproduced cards -- makes this book a model of cultural studies and a delight to read." -- Richard Ohmann, Wesleyan University
About the Author
Barry Shank is professor of comparative studies at The Ohio State University. He is the author of Dissonant Identities: The Rock 'n' Roll Scene in Austin, Texas. His work on popular culture has appeared in such journals as boundary 2, Radical History Review, American Studies, and American Quarterly.
Reviews
"This volume will be a useful addition to marketing and social sciences collections... Recommended" -- Choice "An intellectually rich, deeply researched history of mass-produced consumer good whose success depends on its ability to connect people emotionally." -- David Farber, Enterprise & Society "A carefully detailed history... An interesting read." -- Antiques & The Arts Weekly "This well-written and nicely illustrated book illuminates how the imagery in greeting cards has reflected overt and covert classist assumptions." -- Cele C. Otnes "A carefully detailed history." -- Antiques and the Arts Weekly " A Token of My Affection is an important work of American studies and contributes much to business history." -- Catherine Gudis, American Studies "A beautifully illustrated, painstakingly researched book... [a] smart, ambitious, innovative study." -- Lori Merish, American Historial Review
Book Information
ISBN 9780231076821
Author Rey Chow
Format Hardback
Page Count 268
Imprint Columbia University Press
Publisher Columbia University Press
Series Film and Culture Series