Following the Civil War the shopping experience was a laborious process between buyers and the various sellers who specialized in a certain trade. You went to the cobbler for shoes, the haberdasher for hats, the ironmonger for iron products, the confectioner for candy, the clothier/draper for cloth, and, if you weren't exhausted from walking all over town, you might stop in at the tailor to customize your clothes. The development of the department store, driven by intensive advertising, allowed shoppers to buy products at one location. The following lesson will look at the contributions of John Wanamaker's Oak Hall and Grand Depot department stores in Philadelphia from 1861 to 1911. It will specifically focus on three key aspects: (1) the history of Wanamaker and his first true department store, (2) the experiences of "Shop Girls" who worked in such stores, and (3) the role of advertising in making Wanamaker's a success. After this lesson, students will develop a greater appreciation for how Wanamaker became a success with his department store, identify with the role of women who worked in these stores, and appreciate how advertising can successfully attract consumers.

Objectives

Lesson Objectives

Students will be able to:

1. Comprehend the development of John Wanamaker's department store and its attraction to 19th Century consumers

2. Synthesize knowledge of shop girls who worked in the department stores and how John Wanamaker provided for his workers

3. Compare the two different styles of shopping that existed before and after department stores

4. Evaluate which images or words would be best used to persuade a specific audience to shop at Wanamaker's

Standards Alignment