Richard Longstreth, The American Department Store Transformed: 1920-1960. Yale University Press. 352pp. $60. Illustrated.
Reviewed by Martin Rubin, The Washington Times, August 12, 2010
This thoughtful, erudite, profoundly knowledgeable and insightful book by a professor of American Studies and director of the graduate program in historic preservation at George Washington University looks at the four decades which saw department stores expand beyond the heart of downtown. As Richard Longstreth writes in his introduction:
“During the decades between 1920 and 1960, the department store in the United States became a wholly different phenomenon from what it had been in the early twentieth century. The changes that contributed to this transformation at once reflected and had a decisive impact on business practices, shopping patterns, design approaches, and, ultimately, urban structure.” . . .
For Martin’s full review, click here or visit www.washingtontimes.com.