Consuming Angels

"The subject of this wonderfully illustrated book goes to the heart of modern life, the establishment of the ethos of consumption (in England) and the necessary role played in it by women. Loeb shows how the home, already transformed by mid-Victorian evangelicalism into a 'domestic temple' presided over by feminine virtue, was easily altered by advertisers into the locus of gracious middle-class consumption managed by an equivalent feminine presence."--The Boston Sunday Globe "Loeb's argument about the impact of consumerism on women's status is most compelling....Fascinating and richly illustrated, this work is a welcome addition to social and women's history."--CHOICE "An excellent reading for my course sermon on women as consumers. Great analysis of images within their historical contect."--Deborah I. Prosser, SUNY at Oneonta "A superb introduction to an advertising mentality which presumably led to the successful marketing of products in an age of rapidly growing consumerism."--The Historian "This is the first time that advertising has been taken apart and examined in this way, and [the book] is a solid starting point from which to study advertising in Victorian Britain."--Victorian Periodicals Review "Provides and invaluable service to all those interested in the history of consumer culture, by making accessible reproductions of a wide sampling of advertisements from turn-of-the-century British magazines."--Victorian Studies "The many illustrations are lessons in themselves...[W]ill lead many readers to look at the old ads with new eyes."--The Albion "The dexterity with which Loeb interprets ads as a type of evidence makes this an important study. ...This is an unusual instance in which a title claims less, rather than more, for the scope of the work that the author has accomplished. Loeb's study joins the ranks of the more imaginative investigations of advertisements that have appeared in recent years."--Journal of Social History "There is much to commend in this book. This book is a treasure trove of beautifully illustrated Victorian advertisements, and the reader acquires a real appreciation of the range and typology of the genre."--American Historical Review