The literature keeps growing

Citation

(2011), "The literature keeps growing", Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, Vol. 3 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/jhrm.2011.41203caa.002

The literature keeps growing

Article Type: The literature keeps growing From: Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, Volume 3, Issue 3

The Journal of Historical Research in Marketing does not include a conventional book review section although we will from time to time publish in Explorations & Insights historical review essays of “lost and found” historically significant books about marketing. However, we will include at the end of some issues, as we have below, a list of recently published books about marketing history and the history of marketing thought that have been brought to our attention. This service to readers is intended to follow the practice followed in Retrospectives in Marketing, the newsletter edited by Stanley C. Hollander and published by Michigan State University from 1981 until the early 2000s. Retrospectives in Marketing usually included a list of recently published books on historical research in marketing under the heading “The literature keeps growing”.

Belisle, D. (2011), Retail Nation: Department Stores and the Making of Modern Canada, University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver, BC.

Exploring department stores’ rise to retail dominance between 1880 and 1940, as well as consumers’, workers’, critics’, and governments’ responses to that rise, this book will interest marketing historians with an interest in retailing history and consumer culture.

Important new resource for Canadian historians: Labatt Brewing Company Archival Collection

Labatt Breweries of Canada has donated Canada’s most significant collection of historic corporate materials to The University of Western Ontario, according the UWO’s web site.

Until four years ago, the material Labatt had gathered since its founding – along with other materials acquired as a result of acquisitions of smaller Canadian breweries over the years – resided in thousands upon thousands of boxes, drawers and filing cabinets across the country.

Amongst some of the collection, the artifacts include John Labatt’s personal letter book (1883-1906) containing company correspondence; a brewery book (1884-1895) providing details of daily production and year-end summaries; a stereoscopic slide viewer (1950s) used to train staff to identify aluminum can defects; draft minutes of the first Board of Directors meeting (1911); and the certificate of registration of the “Blue” trademark.

“Project dusty,” as affectionately branded by Labatt’s, brought those disparate pieces together. The company, along with professional archivists, gathered, catalogued, itemized and organized virtually all its irreplaceable corporate documents.

With the help of professional archivists Labatt gathered, catalogued, itemized and organized virtually all its irreplaceable corporate documents. The materials illustrate the evolution of corporate governance and management models, and include market research; commercial advertising which mirrors Canadian cultural values and trends; research, technology and engineering materials related to brewing processes and innovations; and iconic images of corporate branding, packaging and memorabilia.

The Labatt Brewing Company Archival Collection is now stored and managed within the Archives and Research Collection Centre at The University of Western Ontario. Labatt also donated $200,000 to Western to assist in digitizing portions of the collection, which will help preserve some of the key content and make it more accessible.

For more information, check Andrew Smith’s blog: http://wp.me/pvEoP-WT.