Merchandise and Images – INHA
From Canned Goods to Catalogs: How Everyday objects Shaped Colonial experiences
Paris, France - A new seminar series at the InVisu laboratory, a joint venture between the CNRS and the INHA, is exploring the fascinating ways everyday objects, from humble food cans to grand department store catalogs, shaped experiences in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The series, titled “the Experience of Images (19th-21st Century),” delves into how images and objects interacted with daily life, moving beyond simply viewing them as representations.
One presentation, “empire in a Box: Containers and Packaging in a Colonial Context (19th-20th Century),” by Stéphanie Soubrier of the University of Geneva, examines the ofen-overlooked role of packaging in colonial societies. Soubrier will explore how items like canned goods, biscuit tins, and other containers, often adorned with illustrations, where both embraced and repurposed by both colonizers and local populations.
Another presentation, “Deconstructing Commercial Imagery: The Image of department Stores as an iconography of Work (1860-1900),” by Eléanore challine of the HiCSA/University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, takes a closer look at the visual culture surrounding department stores. Challine will analyze the vast array of imagery associated with these establishments, from catalogs and postcards to advertisements and posters, and how they contributed to shaping public perception.
The seminar series aims to paint a complete picture of the visual landscape of the past,highlighting the power dynamics,emotional connections,and social practices woven into the fabric of everyday objects and images.
The “Experience of Images” seminar series is organized by the InVisu laboratory and is open to the public.
From Cans to Catalogs: Everyday Objects Tell a Colonial Story
Paris,France – This fall,the InVisu laboratory is hosting a fascinating seminar series,”experiance of Images,” exploring how everyday objects shaped life in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Moving beyond simply viewing objects as representations,the series delves into their complex interaction with daily life. Two presentations highlight the surprising role of seemingly mundane items in colonial societies.
Stéphanie Soubrier, University of Geneva, will examine “Empire in a Box: Containers and Packaging in a Colonial Context (19th-20th Century).” Her presentation will explore how items like canned goods and biscuit tins, often featuring intricate illustrations, were both embraced and repurposed by both colonizers and local populations.
Eléanore Challene of the HiCSA/University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne will present ”Deconstructing Commercial Imagery: The Image of Department Stores as an iconography of Work (1860-1900).” Challene will analyse the vast visual landscape surrounding department stores – from catalogs and postcards to advertisements and posters – and how they shaped public perception.
The “Experience of Images” seminar series sheds light on the power dynamics, emotional connections, and social practices woven into everyday objects. The series is open to the public.