Archival Anecdotes: Turn the Page

I have deep recollections of the sharp aroma of the glossy pages of the mail order catalog, as well as an unnatural willingness to wait 4-6 weeks for shipping of any of the items featured in the huge department store catalogs. It is an experience that faded out of our culture in the early 1990s, and was quickly replaced by the world of online shopping.

The first print mailers made their way in...