Alex Taylor

In this episode of Hagley History Hangout Roger Horowitz sits down with Alex Taylor to discuss his new book,  Forms of Persuasion: Art and Corporate Image in the 1960s, the first dedicated history of corporate patronage in post-war art. Taylor’s book considers how a wide range of artists were deeply immersed in the marketing strategies of big business during the 1960s and explored with multinational corporations new ways to use art for commercial gain. From Andy Warhol’s work for packaged goods manufacturers to Richard Serra’s involvement with the steel industry, Taylor demonstrates how major artists of the period provided brands with “forms of persuasion” that bolstered corporate power, prestige, and profit. Drawing on extensive original research conducted in artist, gallery, and corporate archives, Taylor recovers a flourishing field of promotional initiatives that saw artists, advertising creatives, and executives working around the same tables. Alex J. Taylor is associate professor of art and visual culture at the University of Pittsburgh. For more Hagley History Hangouts, and more information on the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society at the Hagley Museum &amp; Library, join us online at hagley.org.

In this episode of Hagley History Hangout Roger Horowitz sits down with Alex Taylor to discuss his new book, Forms of Persuasion: Art and Corporate Image in the 1960s, the first dedicated history of corporate patronage in post-war art. Taylor’s book considers how a wide range of artists were deeply immersed in the marketing strategies of big business during the 1960s and explored with multinational corporations new ways to use art for commercial gain. From Andy Warhol’s work for packaged goods manufacturers to Richard Serra’s involvement with the steel industry, Taylor demonstrates how major artists of the period provided brands with “forms of persuasion” that bolstered corporate power, prestige, and profit. Drawing on extensive original research conducted in artist, gallery, and corporate archives, Taylor recovers a flourishing field of promotional initiatives that saw artists, advertising creatives, and executives working around the same tables. Alex J. Taylor is associate professor of art and visual culture at the University of Pittsburgh. For more Hagley History Hangouts, and more information on the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society at the Hagley Museum &amp; Library, join us online at <a href="http://hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hagley.org</a>.

Forms of Persuasion: Art & Corporate Image in the 1960s with Alex Taylor

Cynthia Meyers

What archive could possibly give you a total view of American business practice in the twentieth century? What industry touched and participated in nearly every other industry? What firm yields insight into a cavalcade of firms in one fell swoop? The answer to all of these questions is the BBD&amp;O advertising agency archive held in the Hagley Museum &amp; Library. Cynthia Meyers, professor emerita of Communication, Art, &amp; Media at College of Mount Saint Vincent, has dedicated her career to uncovering the incredible stories of American advertising on twentieth-century airwaves. Her work highlights the significance of the BBD&amp;O advertising firm and its archive to our understanding of business, culture, and technology as they evolved over the twentieth century. Whether your research interest lies in firms such as GM, GE, DuPont, Lever Bros, Proctor &amp; Gamble; or in the details of radio and television production; or in the social dynamics of race and gender; or in a multitude of other directions, the advertising agency and market research collections held in the Hagley Library hold unique promise as a rich resource.For more Hagley History Hangouts, and more information on the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society at the Hagley Museum &amp; Library, visit us online at hagley.org.

What archive could possibly give you a total view of American business practice in the twentieth century? What industry touched and participated in nearly every other industry? What firm yields insight into a cavalcade of firms in one fell swoop? The answer to all of these questions is the BBD&amp;O advertising agency archive held in the Hagley Museum &amp; Library. Cynthia Meyers, professor emerita of Communication, Art, &amp; Media at College of Mount Saint Vincent, has dedicated her career to uncovering the incredible stories of American advertising on twentieth-century airwaves. Her work highlights the significance of the BBD&amp;O advertising firm and its archive to our understanding of business, culture, and technology as they evolved over the twentieth century. Whether your research interest lies in firms such as GM, GE, DuPont, Lever Bros, Proctor &amp; Gamble; or in the details of radio and television production; or in the social dynamics of race and gender; or in a multitude of other directions, the advertising agency and market research collections held in the Hagley Library hold unique promise as a rich resource. For more Hagley History Hangouts, and more information on the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society at the Hagley Museum &amp; Library, visit us online at <a href="http://hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hagley.org</a>.

American Advertising: Researching Capitalism from the Inside Out with Cynthia Meyers

James Leach

Cognitive changes occur across the human lifespan, with consequences for economic conditions. How people have understood these changes, and managed their interaction with life and work has changed over time. As industrialization sped up work, and enhanced the wealth of society, social scientists and business leaders struggled to better understand the aging process, and to address its implications in the workplace.In his dissertation project, James Leach, PhD candidate at Carnegie Mellon University, uncovers the status of old age and retirement in the American corporate workplace between 1945 and 1986. During these decades, as more Americans considered pensions, social security, and freedom from poverty in old age to be theirs by right of membership in a rich, industrial, modern nation, corporations found ways to turn retirement to their own pecuniary advantage.In support of his work, Leach received an exploratory grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society at the Hagley Museum &amp; Library. For more information on our funding opportunities, and more Hagley History Hangouts, visit us online at hagley.org.

Cognitive changes occur across the human lifespan, with consequences for economic conditions. How people have understood these changes, and managed their interaction with life and work has changed over time. As industrialization sped up work, and enhanced the wealth of society, social scientists and business leaders struggled to better understand the aging process, and to address its implications in the workplace. In his dissertation project, James Leach, PhD candidate at Carnegie Mellon University, uncovers the status of old age and retirement in the American corporate workplace between 1945 and 1986. During these decades, as more Americans considered pensions, social security, and freedom from poverty in old age to be theirs by right of membership in a rich, industrial, modern nation, corporations found ways to turn retirement to their own pecuniary advantage. In support of his work, Leach received an exploratory grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society at the Hagley Museum &amp; Library. For more information on our funding opportunities, and more Hagley History Hangouts, visit us online at <a href="http://hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hagley.org</a>.

Old Brains: How Corporate America Measured Aging with James Leach

Minseok Jang

How does a movement unite the disparate interests of producer and consumers? By directing their shared ire against a powerful middleman. That is how opponents of the Standard Oil monopoly on kerosene refining and distribution joined forces to take on the corporate giant.In his dissertation project, Minseok Jang, PhD candidate at the University of Albany, explores the materiality of kerosene and its impacts on people at every link in the commodity chain; from oil fields through refineries and pipelines to the homes and businesses of end-users. Jang argues that the unique qualities contemporaries perceived in kerosene created both opportunities and risks. When Standard Oil attempted to monopolize the opportunities while externalizing the risks, the firm goaded an array of people into united anti-monopolist action.In support of his work, Jang received an exploratory grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society at the Hagley Museum &amp; Library. For more information on our funding opportunities, and more Hagley History Hangouts, visit us online at hagley.org.

How does a movement unite the disparate interests of producer and consumers? By directing their shared ire against a powerful middleman. That is how opponents of the Standard Oil monopoly on kerosene refining and distribution joined forces to take on the corporate giant. In his dissertation project, Minseok Jang, PhD candidate at the University of Albany, explores the materiality of kerosene and its impacts on people at every link in the commodity chain; from oil fields through refineries and pipelines to the homes and businesses of end-users. Jang argues that the unique qualities contemporaries perceived in kerosene created both opportunities and risks. When Standard Oil attempted to monopolize the opportunities while externalizing the risks, the firm goaded an array of people into united anti-monopolist action. In support of his work, Jang received an exploratory grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society at the Hagley Museum &amp; Library. For more information on our funding opportunities, and more Hagley History Hangouts, visit us online at <a href="http://hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hagley.org</a>.

Kerosene Antimonopoly: Standard Oil & the People Who Hated It with Minseok Jang

Joe Plasky

Joe Plasky talks about his efforts interviewing as many people as he can who worked for DuPont’s Textile Fibers Department between 1950 and 2000. Joe Plasky is a retired engineer from DuPont’s Textile Fibers Department and he has been collecting oral histories from former DuPont Textile Fibers employees for well over a decade. Every year, sometimes multiple times per year, Mr. Plasky deposits a batch of these oral histories with Hagley. Currently, the collection has approximately 260 interviews and counting. In this interview, Plasky talks about what inspired him to undertake a project of this size and how he feels the development of different kinds of polyesters, including Dacron and other fibers used for their elasticity in shapewear is an under-researched topic. He also shares some of the most interesting stories he’s heard while working on this project and shares what he hopes future researchers will be able to learn by utilizing these interviews. The entirety of the Oral Hstory Interviews with Former Employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department collection is available  here: https://digital.hagley.org/textile_fibers_interviewsFor more information on our funding opportunities, and more Hagley History Hangouts, visit us online at hagley.org.

Joe Plasky talks about his efforts interviewing as many people as he can who worked for DuPont’s Textile Fibers Department between 1950 and 2000. Joe Plasky is a retired engineer from DuPont’s Textile Fibers Department and he has been collecting oral histories from former DuPont Textile Fibers employees for well over a decade. Every year, sometimes multiple times per year, Mr. Plasky deposits a batch of these oral histories with Hagley. Currently, the collection has approximately 260 interviews and counting. In this interview, Plasky talks about what inspired him to undertake a project of this size and how he feels the development of different kinds of polyesters, including Dacron and other fibers used for their elasticity in shapewear is an under-researched topic. He also shares some of the most interesting stories he’s heard while working on this project and shares what he hopes future researchers will be able to learn by utilizing these interviews. The entirety of the Oral Hstory Interviews with Former Employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department collection is available here: <a href="https://digital.hagley.org/textile_fibers_interviews" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://digital.hagley.org/textile_fibers_interviews</a> For more information on our funding opportunities, and more Hagley History Hangouts, visit us online at <a href="http://hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hagley.org</a>.

Building an Oral History of DuPont’s Textile Fibers Department with Joe Plasky

Maia Silber

Even the most favored workers of the New Deal order, white male heads of households with unionized industrial jobs, faced economic uncertainty in the form of irregularity of work and earnings. These workers and their families made ends meet with a variety of “casual” work arrangements; seasonal labor, barter, family interdependence, etc. Much of the rest of the American labor force in the post-World War Two period was entirely dependent upon the casual labor sector for their livelihoods. In her dissertation project, Maia Silber, PhD candidate in history at Princeton University, uncovers the experience of causal workers and their families in the 1940s and ‘50s United States. Drawing upon the varied archives of social workers, industrial firms, business organizations, and the labor-related institutions that emerged from the New Deal, Silber uncovers a social history of causal labor during the height of postwar American prosperity, when even relatively privileged workers had to improvise in order to survive. To support her work, Silber received research grants from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society at the Hagley Museum and Library. For more Hagley History Hangouts, and more information on funding opportunities and research, visit us online at hagley.org.

Even the most favored workers of the New Deal order, white male heads of households with unionized industrial jobs, faced economic uncertainty in the form of irregularity of work and earnings. These workers and their families made ends meet with a variety of “casual” work arrangements; seasonal labor, barter, family interdependence, etc. Much of the rest of the American labor force in the post-World War Two period was entirely dependent upon the casual labor sector for their livelihoods. In her dissertation project, Maia Silber, PhD candidate in history at Princeton University, uncovers the experience of causal workers and their families in the 1940s and ‘50s United States. Drawing upon the varied archives of social workers, industrial firms, business organizations, and the labor-related institutions that emerged from the New Deal, Silber uncovers a social history of causal labor during the height of postwar American prosperity, when even relatively privileged workers had to improvise in order to survive. To support her work, Silber received research grants from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society at the Hagley Museum and Library. For more Hagley History Hangouts, and more information on funding opportunities and research, visit us online at <a href="http://hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hagley.org</a>.

Survival is Improvisational: Casual Labor in Postwar America with Maia Silber

Hannah Farber

In this edition of Hagley History Hangout, Hannah Farber discusses her new prize-winning book, Underwriters of the United States, with Roger Horowitz. Her book traces how American maritime insurers used their position at the pinnacle of global trade to shape the formation of the United States. During American Revolution, they helped the U.S. negotiate foreign loans, sell state debts, and establish a single national bank. Afterward, they increased their influence by lending money to the federal government and to its citizens. Even as federal and state governments began to encroach on their domain, maritime insurers adapted, preserving their autonomy and authority through extensive involvement in the formation of commercial law. Leveraging their claims to unmatched expertise, they operated free from government interference while simultaneously embedding themselves into the nation’s institutional fabric. Farber’s book received the Hagley Prize for the best book in business history in 2023.  Hannah Farber is assistant professor of history at Columbia University.For more Hagley History Hangouts and more information on the Center for the history of Business, Technology, and Society at the Hagley Museum and Library, visit us online at hagley.org.

In this edition of Hagley History Hangout, Hannah Farber discusses her new prize-winning book, Underwriters of the United States, with Roger Horowitz. Her book traces how American maritime insurers used their position at the pinnacle of global trade to shape the formation of the United States. During American Revolution, they helped the U.S. negotiate foreign loans, sell state debts, and establish a single national bank. Afterward, they increased their influence by lending money to the federal government and to its citizens. Even as federal and state governments began to encroach on their domain, maritime insurers adapted, preserving their autonomy and authority through extensive involvement in the formation of commercial law. Leveraging their claims to unmatched expertise, they operated free from government interference while simultaneously embedding themselves into the nation’s institutional fabric. Farber’s book received the Hagley Prize for the best book in business history in 2023. Hannah Farber is assistant professor of history at Columbia University. For more Hagley History Hangouts and more information on the Center for the history of Business, Technology, and Society at the Hagley Museum and Library, visit us online at <a href="http://hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hagley.org</a>.

Underwriters of the United States: How Insurance Shaped the American Founding with Hannah Farber

Anna Andrzejewski

The distinctive landscape of south Florida has its roots in the attempt by mid-twentieth century developers to transform the “last frontier” in American into piles of cash. Where they succeeded there now reigns an over-developed suburban landscape of leisure dominated by residential spaces and amenities like golf courses and parks. The decades-long process has had profound consequences for the environment of Florida as well as the culture and politics of the United States at-large.Revealing this story through her research is Anna Andrzejewski, professor of art history at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, whose latest book project steps from the typical Florida style suburban home, through the planned development, regional complexes, and national impacts to show how the south Florida landscape developed and why it has had such an outsized role in contemporary American history.In support of her work, Dr. Andrzejewski received the NEH-Hagley Fellowship. For more information on funding opportunities from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society at the Hagley Museum &amp; Library visit us online at hagley.org.

The distinctive landscape of south Florida has its roots in the attempt by mid-twentieth century developers to transform the “last frontier” in American into piles of cash. Where they succeeded there now reigns an over-developed suburban landscape of leisure dominated by residential spaces and amenities like golf courses and parks. The decades-long process has had profound consequences for the environment of Florida as well as the culture and politics of the United States at-large. Revealing this story through her research is Anna Andrzejewski, professor of art history at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, whose latest book project steps from the typical Florida style suburban home, through the planned development, regional complexes, and national impacts to show how the south Florida landscape developed and why it has had such an outsized role in contemporary American history. In support of her work, Dr. Andrzejewski received the NEH-Hagley Fellowship. For more information on funding opportunities from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society at the Hagley Museum &amp; Library visit us online at <a href="http://hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hagley.org</a>.

How Florida Happened with Anna Andrzejewski

Margaret Mulrooney

This special edition of the Hagley History Hangout features Dr. Margaret Mulrooney presenting her work on the DuPont Irish and celebrating the 20th Anniversary re-release of her book at an Author Talk event hosted by the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society at the Hagley Museum &amp; Library. Twenty years ago, Margaret Mulrooney’s history of the community of Irish immigrant workers at the du Pont powder yards, Black Powder, White Lace, was published to wide acclaim. Now, as much of the materials Mulrooney used in her research are now electronically available to the public, and as debates about immigration continue to rage, a new edition of the book is being published to remind readers of the rich materials available on the du Pont workers, and of Mulrooney’s powerful conclusions about immigrant communities in America. Explosives work was dangerous, but the du Ponts provided a host of benefits to their workers. As a result, the Irish remained loyal to their employers, convinced by their everyday experiences that their interests and the du Ponts’ were one and the same. Employing a wide array of sources, Mulrooney turns away from the worksite and toward the domestic sphere, revealing that powder mill families asserted their distinctive ethno-religious heritage at the same time as they embraced what U.S. capitalism had to offer.Margaret Mulrooney is a Professor of History at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. She is the author of Deep Current: Race, Place and Memory in Wilmington, NC (2018) and the editor of Fleeing the Famine: North America and Irish Refugees, 1845-1851 (2003).For more Hagley History Hangouts, and more information on the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society at the Hagley Museum &amp; Library join us online at hagley.org.

This special edition of the Hagley History Hangout features Dr. Margaret Mulrooney presenting her work on the DuPont Irish and celebrating the 20th Anniversary re-release of her book at an Author Talk event hosted by the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society at the Hagley Museum &amp; Library. Twenty years ago, Margaret Mulrooney’s history of the community of Irish immigrant workers at the du Pont powder yards, Black Powder, White Lace, was published to wide acclaim. Now, as much of the materials Mulrooney used in her research are now electronically available to the public, and as debates about immigration continue to rage, a new edition of the book is being published to remind readers of the rich materials available on the du Pont workers, and of Mulrooney’s powerful conclusions about immigrant communities in America. Explosives work was dangerous, but the du Ponts provided a host of benefits to their workers. As a result, the Irish remained loyal to their employers, convinced by their everyday experiences that their interests and the du Ponts’ were one and the same. Employing a wide array of sources, Mulrooney turns away from the worksite and toward the domestic sphere, revealing that powder mill families asserted their distinctive ethno-religious heritage at the same time as they embraced what U.S. capitalism had to offer. Margaret Mulrooney is a Professor of History at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. She is the author of Deep Current: Race, Place and Memory in Wilmington, NC (2018) and the editor of Fleeing the Famine: North America and Irish Refugees, 1845-1851 (2003). For more Hagley History Hangouts, and more information on the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society at the Hagley Museum &amp; Library join us online at <a href="http://hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hagley.org</a>.

Black Powder, White Lace: The DuPont Irish & Cultural Identity in 19thC USA with Margaret Mulrooney

Dylan Gottlieb

Young urban professional (yuppies for short) emerged as an archetype close to the heart of transformations taking place in American society during the 1970s and 1980s. These highly-educated individuals were products and architects of a new American economy geared toward financial services and willing cannibalize much of the rest of the economy for short-term profit. While elite universities had once turned out managers for manufacturing firms in midsize cities, by the 1980s their graduates were flocking into banking in major urban centers such as Chicago where the term yuppy originated, but most markedly New York. In his book project, Dr. Dylan Gottlieb, assistant professor at Bentley University and former NEH-Hagley postdoctoral fellow, uncovers a social history of financialization through the lens of yuppies, their economic position, and their cultural proclivities. Among the markers of yuppiedom were an obsession with fitness, an interest in fine dining, and a drive to command cultural symbols as means of establishing their right to sit atop of an unequal and ultimately unjust hierarchy. Using a variety of source material, including marketing studies housed in the Hagley Library collections, Gottlieb tells a compelling story of social aspiration and dislocating change. In support of his work, Gottlieb received the 2021-2022 NEH-Hagley Postdoctoral Fellowship in Business, Culture, &amp; Society from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society at the Hagley Museum &amp; Library. For more information, and more Hagley History Hangouts, please visit us online at hagley.org.

Young urban professional (yuppies for short) emerged as an archetype close to the heart of transformations taking place in American society during the 1970s and 1980s. These highly-educated individuals were products and architects of a new American economy geared toward financial services and willing cannibalize much of the rest of the economy for short-term profit. While elite universities had once turned out managers for manufacturing firms in midsize cities, by the 1980s their graduates were flocking into banking in major urban centers such as Chicago where the term yuppy originated, but most markedly New York. In his book project, Dr. Dylan Gottlieb, assistant professor at Bentley University and former NEH-Hagley postdoctoral fellow, uncovers a social history of financialization through the lens of yuppies, their economic position, and their cultural proclivities. Among the markers of yuppiedom were an obsession with fitness, an interest in fine dining, and a drive to command cultural symbols as means of establishing their right to sit atop of an unequal and ultimately unjust hierarchy. Using a variety of source material, including marketing studies housed in the Hagley Library collections, Gottlieb tells a compelling story of social aspiration and dislocating change. In support of his work, Gottlieb received the 2021-2022 NEH-Hagley Postdoctoral Fellowship in Business, Culture, &amp; Society from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society at the Hagley Museum &amp; Library. For more information, and more Hagley History Hangouts, please visit us online at <a href="http://hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hagley.org</a>.

Yuppies: Wall Street & the Remaking of New York with Dylan Gottlieb

Hagley History Hangout

Ryan Haddad

Trade wars are nothing new, and the weapons used to fight them sometimes backfire. During the Cold War, the United States took a carrot-and-stick approach to managing foreign relations through trade. The results were decidedly mixed.  In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, Ryan Haddad, PhD candidate at the University of Maryland, discusses the use of trade controls by the United States government to pursue foreign policy goals during the Cold War. Using Hagley Library collections, including the records of the National Foreign Trade Council and the National Association of Manufacturers, Haddad discovered how Cold War policies designed to promote free trade in the West, and to isolate the Communist bloc, forced American firms to navigate uncertain diplomatic conditions while trying to maintain market share and profitability.Haddad received an Exploratory Grant from the library’s Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society to support his use of Hagley Library collections. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at www.hagley.org.Interview by Amrys Williams. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves.Image: Nation's Business cover, January 1962, Nationbiz_196201, Nation's Business (f HF1 .N38), Published Collections Department, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

Trade wars are nothing new, and the weapons used to fight them sometimes backfire. During the Cold War, the United States took a carrot-and-stick approach to managing foreign relations through trade. The results were decidedly mixed. In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, Ryan Haddad, PhD candidate at the University of Maryland, discusses the use of trade controls by the United States government to pursue foreign policy goals during the Cold War. Using Hagley Library collections, including the records of the National Foreign Trade Council and the National Association of Manufacturers, Haddad discovered how Cold War policies designed to promote free trade in the West, and to isolate the Communist bloc, forced American firms to navigate uncertain diplomatic conditions while trying to maintain market share and profitability. Haddad received an Exploratory Grant from the library’s Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society to support his use of Hagley Library collections. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at <a href="http://www.hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org</a>. Interview by Amrys Williams. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves. Image: Nation's Business cover, January 1962, Nationbiz_196201, Nation's Business (f HF1 .N38), Published Collections Department, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

The Diplomatic Value of Trade: America's Commercial Cold War with Ryan Haddad

David Haslam

In this interview, David Haslam discusses his research into the Pennsylvania Railroad T1 locomotive, and his use of materials from the collections in the Hagley Library for his organization's project to build an accurate, fully functional reproduction of the T1.Mr. Haslam is marketing director for the T1 Trust.Stories from the Stacks is an ongoing program from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society featuring interviews with researchers who share the excitement of discovering the rich and varied historical materials in the Hagley Library’s collections. Listen to additional episodes at www.hagley.org/storiesfromthestacks.

In this interview, David Haslam discusses his research into the Pennsylvania Railroad T1 locomotive, and his use of materials from the collections in the Hagley Library for his organization's project to build an accurate, fully functional reproduction of the T1. Mr. Haslam is marketing director for the T1 Trust. Stories from the Stacks is an ongoing program from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society featuring interviews with researchers who share the excitement of discovering the rich and varied historical materials in the Hagley Library’s collections. Listen to additional episodes at <a href="http://www.hagley.org/storiesfromthestacks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org/storiesfromthestacks</a>.

Stories From The Stacks: David Haslam on the Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Locomotive

Davor Mondom (Ph.D. candidate in the history department at Syracuse University) discusses his research on the politics of the Amway corporation and the Chamber of Commerce. He describes how both organizations supported free market ideals and the Reagan administration. Mondom also describes the ties between the two organizations and discusses how Jay van Andel, a founder of Amway, led the Chamber of Commerce.

How Amway Created a Grassroots Enthusiasm for Free Enterprise

David Gray

In this interview, Dr. David Gray discusses his research into motivational communication techniques in the mid-twentieth century, and his use of materials from the National Association of Manufacturers collection in the Hagley Library for his project.Dr. Gray is a visiting assistant professor of American Studies at Oklahoma State University.This interview was conducted as part of the Hagley Center's Stories from the Stacks project.

In this interview, Dr. David Gray discusses his research into motivational communication techniques in the mid-twentieth century, and his use of materials from the National Association of Manufacturers collection in the Hagley Library for his project. Dr. Gray is a visiting assistant professor of American Studies at Oklahoma State University. This interview was conducted as part of the Hagley Center's Stories from the Stacks project.

Stories From The Stacks: David Gray on corporate motivational communication techniques in the 1950s

Emanuela Scarpellini

Forget Hollywood superstars. In the 1960s, women around the world wanted a sense of normality when they consumed cosmetics. As the Avon company attempted to win consumers for its mass-produced goods in Latin America and Europe, it adapted its marketing materials to reflect the segmentation of local and changing global ideals of beauty. In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, historian Emanuela Scarpellini, professor at the University of Milan, discusses how Avon planned its expansion overseas from the United States, and adapted to the context of a global marketplace. Monochromatic American ideals of beauty did not necessarily match those of other cultures, yet American goods enjoyed global cachet that added to their perceived value. Easing the tension between these push and pull factors were the Avon ladies, the sales agents that the company relied upon to retail its products, and to communicate with and cultivate consumers.  Using Hagley Library collections, including Avon Products, Inc., and the Ernest Dichter papers, Scarpellini discovered that Avon sales agents and their customers exerted influence over the direction of company promotion and self-image. Avon operations in Europe centered on Italy, where cultural stigma initially prevented women from readily consuming cosmetics. Avon ladies encouraged women to consider consumption of mass-produced cosmetics as an extension of their traditional roles. The company picked up on the message, and extended it to the entire family: men, women, and children.To support her use of Hagley Library collections, Dr. Scarpellini received research grants from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at, www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships.For more Stories from the Stacks, go to www.hagley.org, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.Interview by Amrys Williams. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves.Image: Colorario Avon, 1966, AvonItalyColor_1966, Record group I, Series 11 D, Box 91, ‘Campaign Mailings, 1966,’ Avon Products, Inc. records (Accession 2155), Manuscripts &amp; Archives Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

Forget Hollywood superstars. In the 1960s, women around the world wanted a sense of normality when they consumed cosmetics. As the Avon company attempted to win consumers for its mass-produced goods in Latin America and Europe, it adapted its marketing materials to reflect the segmentation of local and changing global ideals of beauty. In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, historian Emanuela Scarpellini, professor at the University of Milan, discusses how Avon planned its expansion overseas from the United States, and adapted to the context of a global marketplace. Monochromatic American ideals of beauty did not necessarily match those of other cultures, yet American goods enjoyed global cachet that added to their perceived value. Easing the tension between these push and pull factors were the Avon ladies, the sales agents that the company relied upon to retail its products, and to communicate with and cultivate consumers. Using Hagley Library collections, including Avon Products, Inc., and the Ernest Dichter papers, Scarpellini discovered that Avon sales agents and their customers exerted influence over the direction of company promotion and self-image. Avon operations in Europe centered on Italy, where cultural stigma initially prevented women from readily consuming cosmetics. Avon ladies encouraged women to consider consumption of mass-produced cosmetics as an extension of their traditional roles. The company picked up on the message, and extended it to the entire family: men, women, and children. To support her use of Hagley Library collections, Dr. Scarpellini received research grants from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at, <a href="http://www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships</a>. For more Stories from the Stacks, go to <a href="http://www.hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org</a>, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher. Interview by Amrys Williams. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves. Image: Colorario Avon, 1966, AvonItalyColor_1966, Record group I, Series 11 D, Box 91, ‘Campaign Mailings, 1966,’ Avon Products, Inc. records (Accession 2155), Manuscripts &amp; Archives Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

Beauty Sold Everywhere: The Early Globalization of Avon with Emanuela Scarpellini

In his talk, Alan Meyer provides an engaging account of private aviation, taking the audience inside a community that required exceptionally high skill levels, celebrated facing and overcoming risk, and encouraged fierce personal independence.  Meyer uses the rise and fall of the Ercoupe, a personal plane lauded for its safety and intuitive operation, to show how ideas about pilot skill influenced the market for small airplanes in the postwar era—and the makeup of the flying community.  Despite the Ercoupe's revolutionary—and life-saving—design, it was largely spurned and ridiculed by this community of mostly male aviators, who valued the high barriers to personal flying.  Through the failure of the Ercoupe, Meyer explains how the technology of flying continued to reinforce these values.

Private Pilots and the Rise of Civil Aviation with Alan Meyer

Hereward Longley

The Athabasca country of Alberta once boasted the world’s premier fur hunting grounds. When the energy crises of the late twentieth century put a premium on the region’s tar sand deposits, rich in hydrocarbons useful for synthesizing oil, corporations built an industrial landscape of extraction and processing infrastructure that displaced former occupation and use of the land. The local environment, and the world economy would never be the same.   In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, environmental historian Hereward Longley, PhD candidate at the University of Alberta, discusses the process by which people transformed the environment of northeast Alberta into one of energy resource extraction, and the impact this has had on indigenous communities, Canadian workers, and international energy markets. Using Hagley Library collections, including the J. Howard Pew papers, Sun Oil Company records, and more, Longley discovered that the motivations for building the Canadian tar sands industry varied over time. Mid-century desires to establish North American energy security gave way to opportunistic profit seeking during the periods of high oil prices during the 1970s and 2000s. At every stage, the tar sands industry encountered obstacles, including muskeg and enormous expense that challenged its viability. In the face of such difficulties, public investment proved pivotal.To support his use of Hagley Library collections, Longley received a Henry Belin du Pont Research Grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships.For more Stories from the Stacks, go to www.hagley.org, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.Interview by Amrys Williams. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves.Image: Sun Oil Company refinery at Marcus Hook, PA, July 14, 1939, 70_200_11750, J. Victor Dallin Aerial Survey collection (Accession 1970.200), Audiovisual Collections &amp; digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

The Athabasca country of Alberta once boasted the world’s premier fur hunting grounds. When the energy crises of the late twentieth century put a premium on the region’s tar sand deposits, rich in hydrocarbons useful for synthesizing oil, corporations built an industrial landscape of extraction and processing infrastructure that displaced former occupation and use of the land. The local environment, and the world economy would never be the same. In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, environmental historian Hereward Longley, PhD candidate at the University of Alberta, discusses the process by which people transformed the environment of northeast Alberta into one of energy resource extraction, and the impact this has had on indigenous communities, Canadian workers, and international energy markets. Using Hagley Library collections, including the J. Howard Pew papers, Sun Oil Company records, and more, Longley discovered that the motivations for building the Canadian tar sands industry varied over time. Mid-century desires to establish North American energy security gave way to opportunistic profit seeking during the periods of high oil prices during the 1970s and 2000s. At every stage, the tar sands industry encountered obstacles, including muskeg and enormous expense that challenged its viability. In the face of such difficulties, public investment proved pivotal. To support his use of Hagley Library collections, Longley received a Henry Belin du Pont Research Grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at <a href="http://www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships</a>. For more Stories from the Stacks, go to <a href="http://www.hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org</a>, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher. Interview by Amrys Williams. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves. Image: Sun Oil Company refinery at Marcus Hook, PA, July 14, 1939, 70_200_11750, J. Victor Dallin Aerial Survey collection (Accession 1970.200), Audiovisual Collections &amp; digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

Downstream Impact: Building the Canadian Tar Sands Industry with Hereward Longley

Shinichi Korogi

In this interview, Dr. Shinichi Korogi discusses his research into the development of managerial accounting, and his use of materials from the DuPont company papers in the Hagley Library for his project.Dr. Korogi is a professor in the Commerce Department of Kurume University.Stories from the Stacks is an ongoing program from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society featuring interviews with researchers who share the excitement of discovering the rich and varied historical materials in the Hagley Library’s collections. Listen to additional episodes at www.hagley.org/storiesfromthestacks.

In this interview, Dr. Shinichi Korogi discusses his research into the development of managerial accounting, and his use of materials from the DuPont company papers in the Hagley Library for his project. Dr. Korogi is a professor in the Commerce Department of Kurume University. Stories from the Stacks is an ongoing program from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society featuring interviews with researchers who share the excitement of discovering the rich and varied historical materials in the Hagley Library’s collections. Listen to additional episodes at <a href="http://www.hagley.org/storiesfromthestacks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org/storiesfromthestacks</a>.

Stories From The Stacks: Shinichi Korogi on the development of managerial accounting

Linda (University of Montana) and Marsha (Kansas State University) Frey discuss their use of the du Ponts' family letters to support their research on the French Revolution. In the interview they discuss some of the challenges the du Ponts faced as a family during the French Revolution, such as Pierre Samuel's imprisonment in France and the problems of getting mail in and out of a country in a near constant state of war.

How the du Ponts Corresponded During the French Revolution

Aaron Shkuda

In 1968, the New York Stock Exchange drowned in a sea of paperwork, which forced it to close to trading for one day every week. Something had to be done to allow the finite space of the trading floor to serve the potentially infinite growth in trade volume. The automation of securities trading, the replacement of open outcry pits and paperwork with electronic infrastructure, gained momentum as exchanges competed to be bigger, faster, and more secure than rivals. In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, urban historian Aaron Shkuda, project manager of the Princeton-Mellon Initiative in Architecture, Urbanism, &amp; the Humanities, discusses his research into the ways securities exchanges in New York and Chicago met the spatial challenges of their mid-twentieth century growth. Shkuda focuses on the relationship between exchange, back office functions, and the urban fabric in which they are embedded, which drew numerous stakeholders into the discussion of market expansion and automation. Using Hagley Library collections, including the MCI Communications and Sperry Rand Corporation, Univac Division records, Shkuda discovered how automation allowed exchanges to maintain their symbolic headquarters in central city locations while relocating clerical functions to less-expensive suburbs and computer servers. The NASDAQ exchange lead the move toward automation, and others like the NYSE and CBOT followed suit more or less reluctantly. To support his use of Hagley Library collections, Dr. Shkuda received an Exploratory research grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships.For more Stories from the Stacks, go to www.hagley.org, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.Interview and production by Gregory Hargreaves.Image: The floor of the New York Stock Exchange, PC20100728_206, Series II, Subseries RRR, Box 37, Folder 7, Chamber of Commerce of the United States photographs &amp; audiovisual materials (Accession 1993.230), Audiovisual Collections &amp; Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

In 1968, the New York Stock Exchange drowned in a sea of paperwork, which forced it to close to trading for one day every week. Something had to be done to allow the finite space of the trading floor to serve the potentially infinite growth in trade volume. The automation of securities trading, the replacement of open outcry pits and paperwork with electronic infrastructure, gained momentum as exchanges competed to be bigger, faster, and more secure than rivals. In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, urban historian Aaron Shkuda, project manager of the Princeton-Mellon Initiative in Architecture, Urbanism, &amp; the Humanities, discusses his research into the ways securities exchanges in New York and Chicago met the spatial challenges of their mid-twentieth century growth. Shkuda focuses on the relationship between exchange, back office functions, and the urban fabric in which they are embedded, which drew numerous stakeholders into the discussion of market expansion and automation. Using Hagley Library collections, including the MCI Communications and Sperry Rand Corporation, Univac Division records, Shkuda discovered how automation allowed exchanges to maintain their symbolic headquarters in central city locations while relocating clerical functions to less-expensive suburbs and computer servers. The NASDAQ exchange lead the move toward automation, and others like the NYSE and CBOT followed suit more or less reluctantly. To support his use of Hagley Library collections, Dr. Shkuda received an Exploratory research grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at <a href="http://www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships</a>. For more Stories from the Stacks, go to <a href="http://www.hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org</a>, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher. Interview and production by Gregory Hargreaves. Image: The floor of the New York Stock Exchange, PC20100728_206, Series II, Subseries RRR, Box 37, Folder 7, Chamber of Commerce of the United States photographs &amp; audiovisual materials (Accession 1993.230), Audiovisual Collections &amp; Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

Building for Infinite Participation: High-Speed Trading in New York & Chicago with Aaron Shkuda

Clifton Hood

In the wide-open American economy, some people fake it ‘til they make it. Historically, American impostors realized the promise of social mobility. Identifying freely with different ethnic, racial, class, gender, or professional groups allowed some Americans to challenge social norms, and to reinvent themselves in an environment of rapid and disorienting change. In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, historian Clifton Hood, professor at Hobart &amp; William Smith Colleges, discusses the macro-history of the American impostor as a social phenomenon. Hood situates his project in the context of his life’s work, suggesting that it may be a way of accessing subaltern perspectives on social hierarchies by locating and interrogating their attempted transgressions of its strictures. Using Hagley Library collections, including Empire Steel &amp; Iron, Reading Company, Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Virginia Corporation, and Brandywine Oral Histories, Hood discovered that business and government elites tried a variety of methods to identify and eliminate impostors. These methods included systematic surveillance and documentation of subject groups. Hood highlights identification papers and reports from industrial spies as particularly fascinating documents.To support his use of Hagley Library collections, Dr. Hood received a Henry Belin du Pont research grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships.For more Stories from the Stacks, go to www.hagley.org, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.Interview by Amrys Williams. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves.Image: Mr. Clash wearing a mask at Bushkill, 1915-1925, 2017239_07_228, Series V., ‘Personal and biographical,’ Box 7, Folder 228, Frank E. Schoonover negatives (Accession 2017.239), Audiovisual Collections &amp; Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

In the wide-open American economy, some people fake it ‘til they make it. Historically, American impostors realized the promise of social mobility. Identifying freely with different ethnic, racial, class, gender, or professional groups allowed some Americans to challenge social norms, and to reinvent themselves in an environment of rapid and disorienting change. In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, historian Clifton Hood, professor at Hobart &amp; William Smith Colleges, discusses the macro-history of the American impostor as a social phenomenon. Hood situates his project in the context of his life’s work, suggesting that it may be a way of accessing subaltern perspectives on social hierarchies by locating and interrogating their attempted transgressions of its strictures. Using Hagley Library collections, including Empire Steel &amp; Iron, Reading Company, Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Virginia Corporation, and Brandywine Oral Histories, Hood discovered that business and government elites tried a variety of methods to identify and eliminate impostors. These methods included systematic surveillance and documentation of subject groups. Hood highlights identification papers and reports from industrial spies as particularly fascinating documents. To support his use of Hagley Library collections, Dr. Hood received a Henry Belin du Pont research grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at <a href="http://www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships</a>. For more Stories from the Stacks, go to <a href="http://www.hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org</a>, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher. Interview by Amrys Williams. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves. Image: Mr. Clash wearing a mask at Bushkill, 1915-1925, 2017239_07_228, Series V., ‘Personal and biographical,’ Box 7, Folder 228, Frank E. Schoonover negatives (Accession 2017.239), Audiovisual Collections &amp; Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

People Would Fake Being Everything: American Impostors with Clifton Hood

Arwen Mohun

In this interview, Dr. Arwen Mohun discusses her research into social adaptations to changing technological risk, and her use of materials from the collections in the Hagley Library.Dr. Mohun is professor and department chair in the University of Delaware Department of History.Stories from the Stacks is an ongoing program from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society featuring interviews with researchers who share the excitement of discovering the rich and varied historical materials in the Hagley Library’s collections. Listen to additional episodes at www.hagley.org/storiesfromthestacks.

In this interview, Dr. Arwen Mohun discusses her research into social adaptations to changing technological risk, and her use of materials from the collections in the Hagley Library. Dr. Mohun is professor and department chair in the University of Delaware Department of History. Stories from the Stacks is an ongoing program from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society featuring interviews with researchers who share the excitement of discovering the rich and varied historical materials in the Hagley Library’s collections. Listen to additional episodes at <a href="http://www.hagley.org/storiesfromthestacks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org/storiesfromthestacks</a>.

Stories From The Stacks: Arwen Mohun on technological risk

Jesus Ruiz (Ph.D. candidate at Tulane University) discusses his research on the ideological origins of the Haitian Revolution. He explains the historical significance of the war and describes the Hagley materials that are pertinent to his research. These sources include journals from Louis de Tousard, Cambefort and others.

The Surprising Origins of the Haitian Revolution

John Vassos

In this author talk on "Industrial Design for Modern Life," Dr. Danielle Shapiro explores the life and career of John Vassos, a Greek émigré who rose from anonymity as an advertising artist to become one of the pioneering founders of the industrial design profession. As the Radio Corporation of America's (RCA) leading designer, Vassos shaped the aesthetics of modern technology in the postwar era and became one of the most influential industrial designers of the twentieth century.

John Vassos: Industrial Design for Modern Life

Oren Bracha

Print and sell posters with the Coke-a-Cola logo on them and prepare to get sued. For corporations today, brands are valued property to be aggressively defended from unauthorized use. This was not always the case. The proprietary attitude taken by companies toward their brands developed in the context of a growing consumer economy, and under the tutelage of lawyers.In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, legal scholar Oren Bracha, professor at the University of Texas at Austin, discusses his research into the legal history of branding and trademarks. Bracha observes that the function of brands in influencing consumer behavior had been recognized by marketers by the turn of the twentieth century, and that the function of brands as corporate property developed subsequently as a result of the intersection of business practice with the legal profession. Using Hagley Library collections, including the Seagram and DuPont company records, Bracha discovered how the proprietary attitude toward brands translated into actual legal practice. Corporations police the public meaning of their brands, with lawyers daily directing media outlets and other corporations on the permissible use of trademarked and brand-associated content. Bracha highlights the case of the DuPont product Cellophane™, which the company sought to protect against rival products marketed using the same name. To support his use of Hagley Library collections, Dr. Bracha received an Exploratory research grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships.For more Stories from the Stacks, go to www.hagley.org, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.Interview by Amrys Williams. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves.Image: Cellophane Hands Off: See What You Buy, 1933, dpads_1803_00222, Series I, Box 43, Folder 12, ‘Advertising tearsheets – 1933,’ E.I. du Pont de Nemours &amp; Company Advertising Department records (Accesion 1803), Manuscripts &amp; Archives Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

Print and sell posters with the Coke-a-Cola logo on them and prepare to get sued. For corporations today, brands are valued property to be aggressively defended from unauthorized use. This was not always the case. The proprietary attitude taken by companies toward their brands developed in the context of a growing consumer economy, and under the tutelage of lawyers. In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, legal scholar Oren Bracha, professor at the University of Texas at Austin, discusses his research into the legal history of branding and trademarks. Bracha observes that the function of brands in influencing consumer behavior had been recognized by marketers by the turn of the twentieth century, and that the function of brands as corporate property developed subsequently as a result of the intersection of business practice with the legal profession. Using Hagley Library collections, including the Seagram and DuPont company records, Bracha discovered how the proprietary attitude toward brands translated into actual legal practice. Corporations police the public meaning of their brands, with lawyers daily directing media outlets and other corporations on the permissible use of trademarked and brand-associated content. Bracha highlights the case of the DuPont product Cellophane™, which the company sought to protect against rival products marketed using the same name. To support his use of Hagley Library collections, Dr. Bracha received an Exploratory research grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at <a href="http://www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships</a>. For more Stories from the Stacks, go to <a href="http://www.hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org</a>, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher. Interview by Amrys Williams. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves. Image: Cellophane Hands Off: See What You Buy, 1933, dpads_1803_00222, Series I, Box 43, Folder 12, ‘Advertising tearsheets – 1933,’ E.I. du Pont de Nemours &amp; Company Advertising Department records (Accesion 1803), Manuscripts &amp; Archives Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

There's a Huge Corporate Asset Here: Brands & Trademark Law with Oren Bracha

Elizabeth Badger

Is it okay to have fun with computers? Joseph Weisbecker, an electrical engineer from the twentieth century, gives an unequivocal yes! During his long career, Weisbecker made it his mission to promote the use of computers for human purposes beyond business and military applications. For him, there was no shame in video games, and he wanted the world to agree. On this episode of Stories from the Stacks, Elizabeth Badger, PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, discusses the early history of video game culture, focusing on the effects of the commodification of games. Badger suggests that gaming culture initially focused on collective effort and community ethos, and that a turning point in the 1980s lead to the re-conception of video games as consumer commodities controlled by corporate interests. Badger situates her project in the context of her own experience with gaming and video game culture, noting the widespread prejudice against video games, and the sexism within gaming culture. Using Hagley Library collections, including the David Sarnoff Research Center records and related materials from the RCA collection, Badger discovered the lengths to which corporations went to turn video games into profitable commodities. Records of suits filed by Atari against rival video game makers provided the smoking gun. The maker of Pong™ patented a basic piece of programming that opened virtually all subsequent video game makers to potential liability. To support her use of Hagley Library collections, Badger received research grants from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships.For more Stories from the Stacks, go to www.hagley.org, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.Interviews by Benjamin Spohn &amp; Nicole Mahoney. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves. The episode draws on two interviews conducted on separate dates, which have been combined and edited for length and clarity.Image: RCA COSMAC VIP Game Manual, LMSS_246409_873_12, Series B. (Publications, 1955-1981), Subseries B. (Publications includes books, serial periodicals, newsletters, &amp; RCA manuals), Box 873, Folder 12, David Sarnoff Research Center records (Acc. 2464.09), Manuscripts 7 Archives Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

Is it okay to have fun with computers? Joseph Weisbecker, an electrical engineer from the twentieth century, gives an unequivocal yes! During his long career, Weisbecker made it his mission to promote the use of computers for human purposes beyond business and military applications. For him, there was no shame in video games, and he wanted the world to agree. On this episode of Stories from the Stacks, Elizabeth Badger, PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, discusses the early history of video game culture, focusing on the effects of the commodification of games. Badger suggests that gaming culture initially focused on collective effort and community ethos, and that a turning point in the 1980s lead to the re-conception of video games as consumer commodities controlled by corporate interests. Badger situates her project in the context of her own experience with gaming and video game culture, noting the widespread prejudice against video games, and the sexism within gaming culture. Using Hagley Library collections, including the David Sarnoff Research Center records and related materials from the RCA collection, Badger discovered the lengths to which corporations went to turn video games into profitable commodities. Records of suits filed by Atari against rival video game makers provided the smoking gun. The maker of Pong™ patented a basic piece of programming that opened virtually all subsequent video game makers to potential liability. To support her use of Hagley Library collections, Badger received research grants from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at <a href="http://www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships</a>. For more Stories from the Stacks, go to <a href="http://www.hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org</a>, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher. Interviews by Benjamin Spohn &amp; Nicole Mahoney. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves. The episode draws on two interviews conducted on separate dates, which have been combined and edited for length and clarity. Image: RCA COSMAC VIP Game Manual, LMSS_246409_873_12, Series B. (Publications, 1955-1981), Subseries B. (Publications includes books, serial periodicals, newsletters, &amp; RCA manuals), Box 873, Folder 12, David Sarnoff Research Center records (Acc. 2464.09), Manuscripts 7 Archives Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

It's Okay to Have Fun with Computers: Video Game Culture with Elizabeth Badger

Walter Aurand

Listen to the full interview in the Hagley Digital Archives (digital.hagley.org)

Listen to the full interview in the Hagley Digital Archives (<a href="http://digital.hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">digital.hagley.org</a>)

Walter Aurand describes working for bootleggers during Prohibition

Kyle Evered

Attitudes toward intoxication can be unstable. The government of Turkey, for example, within a single generation went from producing alcohol and promoting its consumption as civil and modern, to restricting the consumption of alcohol and prohibiting its advertisement, right down to cellphone ringtones that sound like beer bottles opening. A culture once known for its Bektashi Sufis and Janissary soldiers, both famous for enjoying alcohol, now faces increasing pressure to dry out. This remarkable turnaround is indicative of the ways in which societies regulate alcohol by cultural norms and legal statues that are all subject to change.     In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, historical geographer Kyle Evered, associate professor at Michigan State University, discusses the culture and regulation of alcohol in Turkey, from the late Ottoman Empire through the early Republican period and up to the present day. Religion, ethnic &amp; sectarian identity, and political ideals all played a role in shaping attitudes toward alcohol. While the Ottomans tolerated alcohol, the early Turkish republic positively promoted it, while the twenty-first century rise of the AKP (Justice &amp; Development Party) has led to increasing restrictions on alcohol in the name of tradition and public health. Using Hagley Library collections, including the Seagram Collections, Dr. Evered discovered that Turkish alcohol producers, such as the global firm Efes Beverage, face similar pressures as did North American firms during prohibition of alcohol in the United States. Strategies deployed by Seagram in attempting to remain economically viable in the face of prohibition, included retooling and relocation of production facilities, and making concerted efforts to push back against the regulatory regime. By studying the Seagram experience, Dr. Evered gained new perspective with which to compare the regulation of alcohol in Turkey.To support his use of Hagley Library collections, Dr. Evered received an Exploratory Research Grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships.For more Stories from the Stacks, visit www.hagley.org/research/programs/stories-stacks, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.Interview by Michael Forino. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves.Image: From the cover of Nation’s Business, August 1921, nationsbiz_081921, Nation’s Business (f HF1.N38), Published Collections Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

Attitudes toward intoxication can be unstable. The government of Turkey, for example, within a single generation went from producing alcohol and promoting its consumption as civil and modern, to restricting the consumption of alcohol and prohibiting its advertisement, right down to cellphone ringtones that sound like beer bottles opening. A culture once known for its Bektashi Sufis and Janissary soldiers, both famous for enjoying alcohol, now faces increasing pressure to dry out. This remarkable turnaround is indicative of the ways in which societies regulate alcohol by cultural norms and legal statues that are all subject to change. In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, historical geographer Kyle Evered, associate professor at Michigan State University, discusses the culture and regulation of alcohol in Turkey, from the late Ottoman Empire through the early Republican period and up to the present day. Religion, ethnic &amp; sectarian identity, and political ideals all played a role in shaping attitudes toward alcohol. While the Ottomans tolerated alcohol, the early Turkish republic positively promoted it, while the twenty-first century rise of the AKP (Justice &amp; Development Party) has led to increasing restrictions on alcohol in the name of tradition and public health. Using Hagley Library collections, including the Seagram Collections, Dr. Evered discovered that Turkish alcohol producers, such as the global firm Efes Beverage, face similar pressures as did North American firms during prohibition of alcohol in the United States. Strategies deployed by Seagram in attempting to remain economically viable in the face of prohibition, included retooling and relocation of production facilities, and making concerted efforts to push back against the regulatory regime. By studying the Seagram experience, Dr. Evered gained new perspective with which to compare the regulation of alcohol in Turkey. To support his use of Hagley Library collections, Dr. Evered received an Exploratory Research Grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at <a href="http://www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships</a>. For more Stories from the Stacks, visit <a href="http://www.hagley.org/research/programs/stories-stacks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org/research/programs/stories-stacks</a>, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher. Interview by Michael Forino. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves. Image: From the cover of Nation’s Business, August 1921, nationsbiz_081921, Nation’s Business (f HF1.N38), Published Collections Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

Şerefe: The Culture & Regulation of Alcohol in Turkey with Kyle Evered

Marion Casey

Leprechauns have hocked Irish goods to American consumers for generations. When one of the wee folk appeared on a bottle of Irish whisky, its familiar associations marked the drink as an authentic product of an antique culture for the American consumer. From the Blarney Stone to the shamrock, symbols laden with Irish associations in the American mind have proved useful marketing tools for businesses that sought to leverage the value of the word “Irish” in the American marketplace. In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, historian of the Irish-American experience Marion Casey, professor at the Glucksman Ireland House at New York University, discusses the commercial use of Irish culture to sell goods to American consumers. The Irish people possessed an idea of Ireland and its identity that different from that held in the popular American mind. This forced Irish-American businesses to leverage popular preconceptions of Ireland as quaint, natural, and antique, even as they sought to reorient the Irish economy toward industrial participation in global exchange.  Using Hagley Library collections, including the Seagram Collections, and World’s Fair Collections, Dr. Casey discovered that Americans interpreted familiarity as authenticity when evaluating the Irish associations of a product. Use in the marketplace of tropes of Irishness, however far removed from genuine Irish culture, reinforced preexisting stereotypes and misconceptions. The power and pervasiveness of marketing images then crowded out other images and associations with Ireland and its people in the popular imagination. New modes of media transmission have not altered this pattern, but rather enhanced it, transmitting and amplifying old errors. To support her use of Hagley Library collections, Dr. Casey received an Exploratory Research Grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships.For more Stories from the Stacks, go to www.hagley.org, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.Interview by Benjamin Spohn. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves.Image: Composite of two images. “Irish village, Midway, North side Donegal at World’s Columbian Exposition,” 1893, 20090226_025, &amp; “Whisky in bottles and barrels, Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia,” 1876, AVD_2003_255_03_B_16B_01, Audiovisual Collections &amp; Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

Leprechauns have hocked Irish goods to American consumers for generations. When one of the wee folk appeared on a bottle of Irish whisky, its familiar associations marked the drink as an authentic product of an antique culture for the American consumer. From the Blarney Stone to the shamrock, symbols laden with Irish associations in the American mind have proved useful marketing tools for businesses that sought to leverage the value of the word “Irish” in the American marketplace. In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, historian of the Irish-American experience Marion Casey, professor at the Glucksman Ireland House at New York University, discusses the commercial use of Irish culture to sell goods to American consumers. The Irish people possessed an idea of Ireland and its identity that different from that held in the popular American mind. This forced Irish-American businesses to leverage popular preconceptions of Ireland as quaint, natural, and antique, even as they sought to reorient the Irish economy toward industrial participation in global exchange. Using Hagley Library collections, including the Seagram Collections, and World’s Fair Collections, Dr. Casey discovered that Americans interpreted familiarity as authenticity when evaluating the Irish associations of a product. Use in the marketplace of tropes of Irishness, however far removed from genuine Irish culture, reinforced preexisting stereotypes and misconceptions. The power and pervasiveness of marketing images then crowded out other images and associations with Ireland and its people in the popular imagination. New modes of media transmission have not altered this pattern, but rather enhanced it, transmitting and amplifying old errors. To support her use of Hagley Library collections, Dr. Casey received an Exploratory Research Grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at <a href="http://www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships</a>. For more Stories from the Stacks, go to <a href="http://www.hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org</a>, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher. Interview by Benjamin Spohn. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves. Image: Composite of two images. “Irish village, Midway, North side Donegal at World’s Columbian Exposition,” 1893, 20090226_025, &amp; “Whisky in bottles and barrels, Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia,” 1876, AVD_2003_255_03_B_16B_01, Audiovisual Collections &amp; Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

Selling Irish: How the American Market Shaped the Image of a Nation with Marion Casey

Andrew Lea

In the 1950s, Vladimir K. Zworykin, an engineer recently retired from research at RCA, looked at the rising cost of health care and the shortage of medical personnel in America, and decided to do something about it. His solution was to apply computer engineering techniques to the problems of health care and medical diagnosis. To do so, Zworykin established an interdisciplinary research group of engineers, statisticians, and physicians, and tasked them with developing computer programs capable of aiding medical diagnosis. In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, Andrew Lea, PhD candidate in the history of science and medicine at the University of Oxford, discusses the work of Zworykin and company, tracing the origins of the push for bio-medical computing, its uneven reception in the medical world, and the unfolding legacy the movement has left. The Zworykin project focused on hematology, and worked on diagnostic software to assist the identification of blood diseases. Translating a vast and incomplete body of organic conceptions of disease into objective, numerical, and standardized concepts legible to machines proved to be an almost insuperable challenge. Paper technologies, such as the Cornell Medical Index, that standardized medical data gathering, aided computerization.Using Hagley Library collections, including the Vladimir K. Zworykin papers, and the David Sarnoff Research Center records, Lea discovered that the advent of computer-aided diagnosis elicited mixed reactions from the medical profession. The first demonstration of the technology, which took place in 1957 at the RCA labs in Camden, NJ, sparked decades of debate over the art versus the science of medicine. Does computerization dehumanize health care, or does it rationalize and thereby improve health care? Is there a need for diagnostic programming when the majority of health care involves not diagnosis but ongoing disease management? Is human cognition reducible to computerized functions, or do computers undermine the clinical authority of the physician? Initially debated in the twentieth century, these questions continue to shape the twenty-first-century conversation about health care. To support his use of Hagley Library collections, Lea received a Henry Belin du Pont research grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships.For more Stories from the Stacks, go to www.hagley.org, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.Interview by Amrys Williams. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves.Image: “Two of RCA Victor's famous staff of television research engineers, Dr. V.K. Zworykin (left) and E.W. Engstrom, examine a new piece of equipment at the Camden Laboratories.” Television, 1945-1950, PC20110303_456, Box 46, Chamber of Commerce of the United States photographs &amp; audiovisual materials, Series II. Nation’s Biusiness photographs (Accession 1993.230.II), Audiovisual Collections &amp; Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

In the 1950s, Vladimir K. Zworykin, an engineer recently retired from research at RCA, looked at the rising cost of health care and the shortage of medical personnel in America, and decided to do something about it. His solution was to apply computer engineering techniques to the problems of health care and medical diagnosis. To do so, Zworykin established an interdisciplinary research group of engineers, statisticians, and physicians, and tasked them with developing computer programs capable of aiding medical diagnosis. In this episode of Stories from the Stacks, Andrew Lea, PhD candidate in the history of science and medicine at the University of Oxford, discusses the work of Zworykin and company, tracing the origins of the push for bio-medical computing, its uneven reception in the medical world, and the unfolding legacy the movement has left. The Zworykin project focused on hematology, and worked on diagnostic software to assist the identification of blood diseases. Translating a vast and incomplete body of organic conceptions of disease into objective, numerical, and standardized concepts legible to machines proved to be an almost insuperable challenge. Paper technologies, such as the Cornell Medical Index, that standardized medical data gathering, aided computerization. Using Hagley Library collections, including the Vladimir K. Zworykin papers, and the David Sarnoff Research Center records, Lea discovered that the advent of computer-aided diagnosis elicited mixed reactions from the medical profession. The first demonstration of the technology, which took place in 1957 at the RCA labs in Camden, NJ, sparked decades of debate over the art versus the science of medicine. Does computerization dehumanize health care, or does it rationalize and thereby improve health care? Is there a need for diagnostic programming when the majority of health care involves not diagnosis but ongoing disease management? Is human cognition reducible to computerized functions, or do computers undermine the clinical authority of the physician? Initially debated in the twentieth century, these questions continue to shape the twenty-first-century conversation about health care. To support his use of Hagley Library collections, Lea received a Henry Belin du Pont research grant from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, &amp; Society. More information on funding opportunities for research at Hagley can be found at <a href="http://www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org/research/grants-fellowships</a>. For more Stories from the Stacks, go to <a href="http://www.hagley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hagley.org</a>, or subscribe on your favorite podcatcher. Interview by Amrys Williams. Produced by Gregory Hargreaves. Image: “Two of RCA Victor's famous staff of television research engineers, Dr. V.K. Zworykin (left) and E.W. Engstrom, examine a new piece of equipment at the Camden Laboratories.” Television, 1945-1950, PC20110303_456, Box 46, Chamber of Commerce of the United States photographs &amp; audiovisual materials, Series II. Nation’s Biusiness photographs (Accession 1993.230.II), Audiovisual Collections &amp; Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum &amp; Library, Wilmington, DE 19807.

Programming Health: Early Bio-Medical Engineering & Computer Diagnosis with Andrew Lea

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