A "real man's ring": Gender and the invention of tradition

Journal of Social History

Volumn 36, Issue 4, 2003, Pages

  Howard, Vicki ^a  

^a NONE

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EID: 0344216814     PISSN: 00224529     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1353/jsh.2003.0098     Document Type: Article

References (121)

1. "The Double Ring Ceremony," American Ecclesiastical Review (October 1944), 311. "The Double Ring Ceremony Again," American Ecclesiastical Review (February 1947), 146. "Double Ring Ceremony," American Ecclesiastical Review (September 1951), 225-6. "Double Ring Ceremony," American Ecclesiastical Review (May 1956), 351-2.
2. "The Double Ring Ceremony," American Ecclesiastical Review (October 1944), 311. "The Double Ring Ceremony Again," American Ecclesiastical Review (February 1947), 146. "Double Ring Ceremony," American Ecclesiastical Review (September 1951), 225-6. "Double Ring Ceremony," American Ecclesiastical Review (May 1956), 351-2.
3. "The Double Ring Ceremony," American Ecclesiastical Review (October 1944), 311. "The Double Ring Ceremony Again," American Ecclesiastical Review (February 1947), 146. "Double Ring Ceremony," American Ecclesiastical Review (September 1951), 225-6. "Double Ring Ceremony," American Ecclesiastical Review (May 1956), 351-2.
4. "The Double Ring Ceremony," American Ecclesiastical Review (October 1944), 311. "The Double Ring Ceremony Again," American Ecclesiastical Review (February 1947), 146. "Double Ring Ceremony," American Ecclesiastical Review (September 1951), 225-6. "Double Ring Ceremony," American Ecclesiastical Review (May 1956), 351-2.
5. This article adapts Eric Hobsbawm's concept of the invention of tradition, applying it more broadly and adding gender as a category of analysis. As he has argued, invented traditions had "a social and political function, and would not come into existence if they could not acquire them." Traditions were invented to deal with change, to make at least some parts of social life appear constant. According to Hobsbawm, they were that "set of practices, normally governed by overtly or tacitly accepted rules and of a ritual or symbolic nature, which seek to inculcate certain values and norms of behavior by repetition." Eric Hobsbawm, "Introduction: Inventing Tradition," in The Invention of Tradition, ed. Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger (Cambridge University Press, 1983), 1-3.
6. "Rings-O-Bliss," Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (February 1946), 99.
7. Margaret Marsh, Suburban Lives (New Brunswick, 1990), xiv, 186.
8. Susan Strasser, Satisfaction Guaranteed: The Making of an American Mass Market (Washington, DC, 1989). William Leach, Land of Desire: Merchants, Power, and the Rise of a New American Culture (New York, 1993).
9. Susan Strasser, Satisfaction Guaranteed: The Making of an American Mass Market (Washington, DC, 1989). William Leach, Land of Desire: Merchants, Power, and the Rise of a New American Culture (New York, 1993).
10. "Diamonds Sell, Slowly But Surely," Department Store Economist (September 1949), 98. "Hints for Retailers," The Jewelers' Weekly 20 (15 May, 1895), 10; Also, see "Hints for Retailers," The Jewelers' Weekly 20 (19 June 1895), 19; "Dry Goods Cheapness Exposed," The Jewelers' Weekly 20 (3 July 1895).
11. "Diamonds Sell, Slowly But Surely," Department Store Economist (September 1949), 98. "Hints for Retailers," The Jewelers' Weekly 20 (15 May, 1895), 10; Also, see "Hints for Retailers," The Jewelers' Weekly 20 (19 June 1895), 19; "Dry Goods Cheapness Exposed," The Jewelers' Weekly 20 (3 July 1895).
12. "Diamonds Sell, Slowly But Surely," Department Store Economist (September 1949), 98. "Hints for Retailers," The Jewelers' Weekly 20 (15 May, 1895), 10; Also, see "Hints for Retailers," The Jewelers' Weekly 20 (19 June 1895), 19; "Dry Goods Cheapness Exposed," The Jewelers' Weekly 20 (3 July 1895).
13. "Diamonds Sell, Slowly But Surely," Department Store Economist (September 1949), 98. "Hints for Retailers," The Jewelers' Weekly 20 (15 May, 1895), 10; Also, see "Hints for Retailers," The Jewelers' Weekly 20 (19 June 1895), 19; "Dry Goods Cheapness Exposed," The Jewelers' Weekly 20 (3 July 1895).
14. See Vicki Howard, "American Weddings: Gender, Consumption, and the Business of Brides," Ph.D. diss. University of Texas at Austin (May 2000), 66-69, 62-63.
15. "Sweet Sixteen Rings," The Jewelers' Weekly 20 (18 September 1895), 19; J.R. Wood, 1918. On the custom of "keeper" or guard rings, see Anne Randall White, Twentieth Century Etiquette, n.p., 1904, 90.
16. "Sweet Sixteen Rings," The Jewelers' Weekly 20 (18 September 1895), 19; J.R. Wood, 1918. On the custom of "keeper" or guard rings, see Anne Randall White, Twentieth Century Etiquette, n.p., 1904, 90.
17. "Sweet Sixteen Rings," The Jewelers' Weekly 20 (18 September 1895), 19; J.R. Wood, 1918. On the custom of "keeper" or guard rings, see Anne Randall White, Twentieth Century Etiquette, n.p., 1904, 90.
18. Nineteenth-Century jewelry manufacturers were batch producers, meaning that they used a flexible manufacturing format characterized by short runs of varied goods. Flexible specialization allowed them to meet consumer's desires for new styles, in contrast with mass producers who had to generate demand. Philip Scranton, Endless Novelty: Specialty Production and American Industrialization, 1865-1925 (Princeton, N.J., 1997), 353.
19. "Bride and Groom Rings, Bristol Seamless Ring Co., New York," Jewelers' Circular, 1 June 1927, 11. "Keepsake Diamond Rings, Magazine Advertising Schedule for Fall 1944," Jeweler's Circular-Keystone (October 1944), 167. "Joseph H. Jacobson & Sons, Inc.," Department Store Economist (March 1947), 43; "New Wedding Rings Tie-Up with Movie Stars," Jewelers' Journal (June 1929), 47.
20. "Bride and Groom Rings, Bristol Seamless Ring Co., New York," Jewelers' Circular, 1 June 1927, 11. "Keepsake Diamond Rings, Magazine Advertising Schedule for Fall 1944," Jeweler's Circular-Keystone (October 1944), 167. "Joseph H. Jacobson & Sons, Inc.," Department Store Economist (March 1947), 43; "New Wedding Rings Tie-Up with Movie Stars," Jewelers' Journal (June 1929), 47.
21. "Bride and Groom Rings, Bristol Seamless Ring Co., New York," Jewelers' Circular, 1 June 1927, 11. "Keepsake Diamond Rings, Magazine Advertising Schedule for Fall 1944," Jeweler's Circular-Keystone (October 1944), 167. "Joseph H. Jacobson & Sons, Inc.," Department Store Economist (March 1947), 43; "New Wedding Rings Tie-Up with Movie Stars," Jewelers' Journal (June 1929), 47.
22. "Bride and Groom Rings, Bristol Seamless Ring Co., New York," Jewelers' Circular, 1 June 1927, 11. "Keepsake Diamond Rings, Magazine Advertising Schedule for Fall 1944," Jeweler's Circular-Keystone (October 1944), 167. "Joseph H. Jacobson & Sons, Inc.," Department Store Economist (March 1947), 43; "New Wedding Rings Tie-Up with Movie Stars," Jewelers' Journal (June 1929), 47.
23. "A Million Weddings, Traub Manufacturing Co., Detroit," The Jewelers' Circular, 7 June 1928, 22. Montgomery Ward & Co., Catalog 106, Baltimore, Spring and Summer, 1927, 308.
24. "Popularizing Engagement Rings for Men," The Jewelers' Circular, 29 May 1926, 53. "Stimulating a Stagnant . . ." Printer's Ink, 21 October, 1926. Making 'Men's Engagement Rings' all the Vogue," The Jewelers' Circular, 16 June 1926, 105.
25. "Popularizing Engagement Rings for Men," The Jewelers' Circular, 29 May 1926, 53. "Stimulating a Stagnant . . ." Printer's Ink, 21 October, 1926. Making 'Men's Engagement Rings' all the Vogue," The Jewelers' Circular, 16 June 1926, 105.
26. "Popularizing Engagement Rings for Men," The Jewelers' Circular, 29 May 1926, 53. "Stimulating a Stagnant . . ." Printer's Ink, 21 October, 1926. Making 'Men's Engagement Rings' all the Vogue," The Jewelers' Circular, 16 June 1926, 105.
27. "Popularizing Engagement Rings for Men," The Jewelers' Circular, 29 May 1926, 3, 53. "Making 'Men's Engagement Rings' all the Vogue," The Jewelers' Circular, 16 June 1926, 105-7.
28. "Popularizing Engagement Rings for Men," The Jewelers' Circular, 29 May 1926, 3, 53. "Making 'Men's Engagement Rings' all the Vogue," The Jewelers' Circular, 16 June 1926, 105-7.
29. Jane Wells, "Your Money's Worth in Jewelry: Etiquette of Gift Giving" (New York, no date ca. 1920s), pamphlet, Finlay & Strauss Jewelers Collection, Archives Center, NMAH, Behring Center, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. For a discussion of the cultural opposition to men's jewelry see Jenna Weissman Joselit, A Perfect Fit: Clothes, Character, and the Promise of America (New York, 2001), 94-97.
30. Jane Wells, "Your Money's Worth in Jewelry: Etiquette of Gift Giving" (New York, no date ca. 1920s), pamphlet, Finlay & Strauss Jewelers Collection, Archives Center, NMAH, Behring Center, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. For a discussion of the cultural opposition to men's jewelry see Jenna Weissman Joselit, A Perfect Fit: Clothes, Character, and the Promise of America (New York, 2001), 94-97.
31. Harvey Green, The Light of the Home: An Intimate View of the Lives of Women in Victorion America (New York, 1983), 19. Ellen Rothman, Hands and Hearts: A History of Courtship in America (Cambridge, 1987), 161-162.
32. Harvey Green, The Light of the Home: An Intimate View of the Lives of Women in Victorion America (New York, 1983), 19. Ellen Rothman, Hands and Hearts: A History of Courtship in America (Cambridge, 1987), 161-162.
33. "Popularizing Engagement Rings for Men," The Jewelers' Circular, 29 May 1926, 53. "Making 'Men's Engagement Rings' all the Vogue," The Jewelers' Circular, 16 June 1926, 106, 107. "The Most Important Sale You Make, Traub Manufacturing Company," The Jewelers' Circular, 4 May 1927, 25. Store Chat, 15 April, 1911, Strawbridge & Clothier Collection, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE.
34. "Popularizing Engagement Rings for Men," The Jewelers' Circular, 29 May 1926, 53. "Making 'Men's Engagement Rings' all the Vogue," The Jewelers' Circular, 16 June 1926, 106, 107. "The Most Important Sale You Make, Traub Manufacturing Company," The Jewelers' Circular, 4 May 1927, 25. Store Chat, 15 April, 1911, Strawbridge & Clothier Collection, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE.
35. "Popularizing Engagement Rings for Men," The Jewelers' Circular, 29 May 1926, 53. "Making 'Men's Engagement Rings' all the Vogue," The Jewelers' Circular, 16 June 1926, 106, 107. "The Most Important Sale You Make, Traub Manufacturing Company," The Jewelers' Circular, 4 May 1927, 25. Store Chat, 15 April, 1911, Strawbridge & Clothier Collection, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE.
36. "Popularizing Engagement Rings for Men," The Jewelers' Circular, 29 May 1926, 53. "Making 'Men's Engagement Rings' all the Vogue," The Jewelers' Circular, 16 June 1926, 106, 107. "The Most Important Sale You Make, Traub Manufacturing Company," The Jewelers' Circular, 4 May 1927, 25. Store Chat, 15 April, 1911, Strawbridge & Clothier Collection, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE.
37. For example, see Mrs. Massey Lyon, Etiquette: A Guide to Public and Social Life (London, 1927). This particular book was published in England, as well as Canada, yet American brides likely still turned to it for advice. It also included references to the rare practice of a male engagement ring. p. 87.
38. Ellen Rothman, Hands and Hearts, 164. Harvey Green, Lignt of the Home, 17. Rainbow Reporter, October 1948, 7. Binney and Smith Collection, Archives Center, NMAH.
39. Ellen Rothman, Hands and Hearts, 164. Harvey Green, Lignt of the Home, 17. Rainbow Reporter, October 1948, 7. Binney and Smith Collection, Archives Center, NMAH.
40. Ellen Rothman, Hands and Hearts, 164. Harvey Green, Lignt of the Home, 17. Rainbow Reporter, October 1948, 7. Binney and Smith Collection, Archives Center, NMAH.
41. Marsh, Suburban Lives, xiv.
42. Perhaps the failure of the male engagement ring tradition in the 1920s is linked to the contemporary accounts in the popular press of male fear of female domination described by Marsh. See Suburban Lives, 184. For a discussion of shifting masculine identities, see Robert Griswold, Fatherhood in America (New York, 1993).
43. Perhaps the failure of the male engagement ring tradition in the 1920s is linked to the contemporary accounts in the popular press of male fear of female domination described by Marsh. See Suburban Lives, 184. For a discussion of shifting masculine identities, see Robert Griswold, Fatherhood in America (New York, 1993).
44. Marsh argues that the "suburban vision of the early 1950s was less a new expression of the domestic ideal than a feverish - and in the long run unsuccessful - attempt to erase the depression and the war and return to the 1920s." Marsh, Suburban Lives, 185
45. "Making 'Men's Engagement Rings' All the Vogue," The Jewelers' Circular (June 16, 1926), 106.
46. "Wedding Profits for Jewelers," The Jewelers' Circular (May 1932), 30. "Get This Angle in Buying Wedding Rings," The Jewelers' Circular (October 1931), 10.
47. "Wedding Profits for Jewelers," The Jewelers' Circular (May 1932), 30. "Get This Angle in Buying Wedding Rings," The Jewelers' Circular (October 1931), 10.
48. N.W.Ayer, 125 Years of Building Brands, in-housepublication, N.W. AyerCollection, Archives Center, NMAH. "Wedding-Rings: Gain in Marriages Encourages Jewelers and Manufacturers,"The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (February 1937), 5. Bennett Brothers, Inc., trade catalog, 1937, Hagley Museum and Library. Finlay & Strauss Jewelers Collection, ca 1920s. Archives Center, NMAH.
49. N.W.Ayer, 125 Years of Building Brands, in-housepublication, N.W. AyerCollection, Archives Center, NMAH. "Wedding-Rings: Gain in Marriages Encourages Jewelers and Manufacturers,"The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (February 1937), 5. Bennett Brothers, Inc., trade catalog, 1937, Hagley Museum and Library. Finlay & Strauss Jewelers Collection, ca 1920s. Archives Center, NMAH.
50. Otto S. Liberman, "Wedding Links Set the Fashion," Jewelers' Journal (October 1930), 28. The earliest bride and groom sets I have found were from the late 1920s. See "A Million Weddings, Traub Manufacturing Company," The Jewelers' Circular, 7 June 1928. 22-23; 58th Annual Illustrated Price List of Jewelers' Merchandise, Otto Young & Co., 1929. trade catalog; 1931 B.A. & Co. Annual Catalogue, Chicago, 146; Illustrated Fort Dearborn Gift Book & General Catalog, 1936, Fort Dearborn, Illinois, 19, 21, 24, trade catalog; The Oskamp Molting Co. Wholesale Jewelry, Giftware, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1938, 14-15, trade catalog, Hagley Museum and Library. Not every trade catalog in the 1930s featured groom's rings, however. For example, see Bennett Brothers, Inc., trade catalog, 1937, Hagley Museum and Library. For an early citation in etiquette books, see Harriet Brooks, Etiquette for All Occasions (Reader Mail, Inc., 1937), 31.1 have found no examples earlier.
51. Otto S. Liberman, "Wedding Links Set the Fashion," Jewelers' Journal (October 1930), 28. The earliest bride and groom sets I have found were from the late 1920s. See "A Million Weddings, Traub Manufacturing Company," The Jewelers' Circular, 7 June 1928. 22-23; 58th Annual Illustrated Price List of Jewelers' Merchandise, Otto Young & Co., 1929. trade catalog; 1931 B.A. & Co. Annual Catalogue, Chicago, 146; Illustrated Fort Dearborn Gift Book & General Catalog, 1936, Fort Dearborn, Illinois, 19, 21, 24, trade catalog; The Oskamp Molting Co. Wholesale Jewelry, Giftware, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1938, 14-15, trade catalog, Hagley Museum and Library. Not every trade catalog in the 1930s featured groom's rings, however. For example, see Bennett Brothers, Inc., trade catalog, 1937, Hagley Museum and Library. For an early citation in etiquette books, see Harriet Brooks, Etiquette for All Occasions (Reader Mail, Inc., 1937), 31.1 have found no examples earlier.
52. Otto S. Liberman, "Wedding Links Set the Fashion," Jewelers' Journal (October 1930), 28. The earliest bride and groom sets I have found were from the late 1920s. See "A Million Weddings, Traub Manufacturing Company," The Jewelers' Circular, 7 June 1928. 22-23; 58th Annual Illustrated Price List of Jewelers' Merchandise, Otto Young & Co., 1929. trade catalog; 1931 B.A. & Co. Annual Catalogue, Chicago, 146; Illustrated Fort Dearborn Gift Book & General Catalog, 1936, Fort Dearborn, Illinois, 19, 21, 24, trade catalog; The Oskamp Molting Co. Wholesale Jewelry, Giftware, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1938, 14-15, trade catalog, Hagley Museum and Library. Not every trade catalog in the 1930s featured groom's rings, however. For example, see Bennett Brothers, Inc., trade catalog, 1937, Hagley Museum and Library. For an early citation in etiquette books, see Harriet Brooks, Etiquette for All Occasions (Reader Mail, Inc., 1937), 31.1 have found no examples earlier.
53. Otto S. Liberman, "Wedding Links Set the Fashion," Jewelers' Journal (October 1930), 28. The earliest bride and groom sets I have found were from the late 1920s. See "A Million Weddings, Traub Manufacturing Company," The Jewelers' Circular, 7 June 1928. 22-23; 58th Annual Illustrated Price List of Jewelers' Merchandise, Otto Young & Co., 1929. trade catalog; 1931 B.A. & Co. Annual Catalogue, Chicago, 146; Illustrated Fort Dearborn Gift Book & General Catalog, 1936, Fort Dearborn, Illinois, 19, 21, 24, trade catalog; The Oskamp Molting Co. Wholesale Jewelry, Giftware, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1938, 14-15, trade catalog, Hagley Museum and Library. Not every trade catalog in the 1930s featured groom's rings, however. For example, see Bennett Brothers, Inc., trade catalog, 1937, Hagley Museum and Library. For an early citation in etiquette books, see Harriet Brooks, Etiquette for All Occasions (Reader Mail, Inc., 1937), 31.1 have found no examples earlier.
54. Otto S. Liberman, "Wedding Links Set the Fashion," Jewelers' Journal (October 1930), 28. The earliest bride and groom sets I have found were from the late 1920s. See "A Million Weddings, Traub Manufacturing Company," The Jewelers' Circular, 7 June 1928. 22-23; 58th Annual Illustrated Price List of Jewelers' Merchandise, Otto Young & Co., 1929. trade catalog; 1931 B.A. & Co. Annual Catalogue, Chicago, 146; Illustrated Fort Dearborn Gift Book & General Catalog, 1936, Fort Dearborn, Illinois, 19, 21, 24, trade catalog; The Oskamp Molting Co. Wholesale Jewelry, Giftware, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1938, 14-15, trade catalog, Hagley Museum and Library. Not every trade catalog in the 1930s featured groom's rings, however. For example, see Bennett Brothers, Inc., trade catalog, 1937, Hagley Museum and Library. For an early citation in etiquette books, see Harriet Brooks, Etiquette for All Occasions (Reader Mail, Inc., 1937), 31.1 have found no examples earlier.
55. Otto S. Liberman, "Wedding Links Set the Fashion," Jewelers' Journal (October 1930), 28. The earliest bride and groom sets I have found were from the late 1920s. See "A Million Weddings, Traub Manufacturing Company," The Jewelers' Circular, 7 June 1928. 22-23; 58th Annual Illustrated Price List of Jewelers' Merchandise, Otto Young & Co., 1929. trade catalog; 1931 B.A. & Co. Annual Catalogue, Chicago, 146; Illustrated Fort Dearborn Gift Book & General Catalog, 1936, Fort Dearborn, Illinois, 19, 21, 24, trade catalog; The Oskamp Molting Co. Wholesale Jewelry, Giftware, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1938, 14-15, trade catalog, Hagley Museum and Library. Not every trade catalog in the 1930s featured groom's rings, however. For example, see Bennett Brothers, Inc., trade catalog, 1937, Hagley Museum and Library. For an early citation in etiquette books, see Harriet Brooks, Etiquette for All Occasions (Reader Mail, Inc., 1937), 31.1 have found no examples earlier.
56. Otto S. Liberman, "Wedding Links Set the Fashion," Jewelers' Journal (October 1930), 28. The earliest bride and groom sets I have found were from the late 1920s. See "A Million Weddings, Traub Manufacturing Company," The Jewelers' Circular, 7 June 1928. 22-23; 58th Annual Illustrated Price List of Jewelers' Merchandise, Otto Young & Co., 1929. trade catalog; 1931 B.A. & Co. Annual Catalogue, Chicago, 146; Illustrated Fort Dearborn Gift Book & General Catalog, 1936, Fort Dearborn, Illinois, 19, 21, 24, trade catalog; The Oskamp Molting Co. Wholesale Jewelry, Giftware, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1938, 14-15, trade catalog, Hagley Museum and Library. Not every trade catalog in the 1930s featured groom's rings, however. For example, see Bennett Brothers, Inc., trade catalog, 1937, Hagley Museum and Library. For an early citation in etiquette books, see Harriet Brooks, Etiquette for All Occasions (Reader Mail, Inc., 1937), 31.1 have found no examples earlier.
57. U.S. Department of Commerce, Fifteenth Census of the United States: 1930 Distribution, Vol. 1, Retail Distribution, Part I (Washington, 1933), 47, 49; U.S. Department of Commerce, Census of American Business: 1933, Retail Distribution Vol. I, United States Summary: 1933 and Comparisons with 1929, May 1935, A-1, A-12, A-13. U.S. Department or Commerce, United States Census of Business: 1948, Vol. 1, Retail Trade-General Statistics, Part 3 (Washington, 1952), 1.02, 1.04, 1.05; U.S. Department of Commerce, United States Census of Business: 1948, Vol. II, Retail Trade-General Statistics, Part 2 and Merchandise Line Sale Statistics (Washington, 1952), 18.03, 19.02, 24.03; U.S. Department of Commerce, 1963 Census of Business, Vol. 1, Retail Trade Summary Statistics, Part 2: Merchandise Line Sales, 7A-7, 7A-14-16, 7A-24-25.
58. U.S. Department of Commerce, Fifteenth Census of the United States: 1930 Distribution, Vol. 1, Retail Distribution, Part I (Washington, 1933), 47, 49; U.S. Department of Commerce, Census of American Business: 1933, Retail Distribution Vol. I, United States Summary: 1933 and Comparisons with 1929, May 1935, A-1, A-12, A-13. U.S. Department or Commerce, United States Census of Business: 1948, Vol. 1, Retail Trade-General Statistics, Part 3 (Washington, 1952), 1.02, 1.04, 1.05; U.S. Department of Commerce, United States Census of Business: 1948, Vol. II, Retail Trade-General Statistics, Part 2 and Merchandise Line Sale Statistics (Washington, 1952), 18.03, 19.02, 24.03; U.S. Department of Commerce, 1963 Census of Business, Vol. 1, Retail Trade Summary Statistics, Part 2: Merchandise Line Sales, 7A-7, 7A-14-16, 7A-24-25.
59. U.S. Department of Commerce, Fifteenth Census of the United States: 1930 Distribution, Vol. 1, Retail Distribution, Part I (Washington, 1933), 47, 49; U.S. Department of Commerce, Census of American Business: 1933, Retail Distribution Vol. I, United States Summary: 1933 and Comparisons with 1929, May 1935, A-1, A-12, A-13. U.S. Department or Commerce, United States Census of Business: 1948, Vol. 1, Retail Trade-General Statistics, Part 3 (Washington, 1952), 1.02, 1.04, 1.05; U.S. Department of Commerce, United States Census of Business: 1948, Vol. II, Retail Trade-General Statistics, Part 2 and Merchandise Line Sale Statistics (Washington, 1952), 18.03, 19.02, 24.03; U.S. Department of Commerce, 1963 Census of Business, Vol. 1, Retail Trade Summary Statistics, Part 2: Merchandise Line Sales, 7A-7, 7A-14-16, 7A-24-25.
60. U.S. Department of Commerce, Fifteenth Census of the United States: 1930 Distribution, Vol. 1, Retail Distribution, Part I (Washington, 1933), 47, 49; U.S. Department of Commerce, Census of American Business: 1933, Retail Distribution Vol. I, United States Summary: 1933 and Comparisons with 1929, May 1935, A-1, A-12, A-13. U.S. Department or Commerce, United States Census of Business: 1948, Vol. 1, Retail Trade-General Statistics, Part 3 (Washington, 1952), 1.02, 1.04, 1.05; U.S. Department of Commerce, United States Census of Business: 1948, Vol. II, Retail Trade-General Statistics, Part 2 and Merchandise Line Sale Statistics (Washington, 1952), 18.03, 19.02, 24.03; U.S. Department of Commerce, 1963 Census of Business, Vol. 1, Retail Trade Summary Statistics, Part 2: Merchandise Line Sales, 7A-7, 7A-14-16, 7A-24-25.
61. U.S. Department of Commerce, Fifteenth Census of the United States: 1930 Distribution, Vol. 1, Retail Distribution, Part I (Washington, 1933), 47, 49; U.S. Department of Commerce, Census of American Business: 1933, Retail Distribution Vol. I, United States Summary: 1933 and Comparisons with 1929, May 1935, A-1, A-12, A-13. U.S. Department or Commerce, United States Census of Business: 1948, Vol. 1, Retail Trade-General Statistics, Part 3 (Washington, 1952), 1.02, 1.04, 1.05; U.S. Department of Commerce, United States Census of Business: 1948, Vol. II, Retail Trade-General Statistics, Part 2 and Merchandise Line Sale Statistics (Washington, 1952), 18.03, 19.02, 24.03; U.S. Department of Commerce, 1963 Census of Business, Vol. 1, Retail Trade Summary Statistics, Part 2: Merchandise Line Sales, 7A-7, 7A-14-16, 7A-24-25.
62. "Not Just the Carriage Trade: Jewelry is shifting from a class to a mass business," Barron's (19 April 1965), 3.
63. See Vicki Howard, "American Weddings," chapter 3.
64. Beth Bailey, From Front Porch to Back Seat: Courtship in Twentieth-Century America (Baltimore, 1988), 41-42. Also see Susan Hartmann, The Home Front and Beyond: American Women in the 1940s (Boston, 1982).
65. Beth Bailey, From Front Porch to Back Seat: Courtship in Twentieth-Century America (Baltimore, 1988), 41-42. Also see Susan Hartmann, The Home Front and Beyond: American Women in the 1940s (Boston, 1982).
66. Marc Koven, "Diamonds Next Door," Journal of Retailing 20 (1 April 1944) 49. "Fields Knows How to Sell Fine Jewelry," Department Store Economist (March 1948), 143.
67. Marc Koven, "Diamonds Next Door," Journal of Retailing 20 (1 April 1944) 49. "Fields Knows How to Sell Fine Jewelry," Department Store Economist (March 1948), 143.
68. "Wedding and Jewelry Sales," Dun's Review 48 (June 1940), 39. See Helen Myers, "Diamonds Sell, Slowly But Surely," Department Store Economist (September 1944), 98. This had been going on earlier as well. For example, see "Cupid's Month is Every Month," Jewelers' Circular 1, June 1927. "Cupid Really Mows 'Em Down," Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (June 1946).
69. "Wedding and Jewelry Sales," Dun's Review 48 (June 1940), 39. See Helen Myers, "Diamonds Sell, Slowly But Surely," Department Store Economist (September 1944), 98. This had been going on earlier as well. For example, see "Cupid's Month is Every Month," Jewelers' Circular 1, June 1927. "Cupid Really Mows 'Em Down," Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (June 1946).
70. "Wedding and Jewelry Sales," Dun's Review 48 (June 1940), 39. See Helen Myers, "Diamonds Sell, Slowly But Surely," Department Store Economist (September 1944), 98. This had been going on earlier as well. For example, see "Cupid's Month is Every Month," Jewelers' Circular 1, June 1927. "Cupid Really Mows 'Em Down," Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (June 1946).
71. "Wedding and Jewelry Sales," Dun's Review 48 (June 1940), 39. See Helen Myers, "Diamonds Sell, Slowly But Surely," Department Store Economist (September 1944), 98. This had been going on earlier as well. For example, see "Cupid's Month is Every Month," Jewelers' Circular 1, June 1927. "Cupid Really Mows 'Em Down," Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (June 1946).
72. For a discussion of early practices, see Kenneth Stevenson, Nuptial Blessing: a Study of Christian Marriage Rites (New York, 1983), 48-49, 52-53, 81, 92-97, 100, 173. Some, like the Puritans, objected to the use of any wedding ring at all. David Hackett Fischer, Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America (New York, 1989), 81.
73. For a discussion of early practices, see Kenneth Stevenson, Nuptial Blessing: a Study of Christian Marriage Rites (New York, 1983), 48-49, 52-53, 81, 92-97, 100, 173. Some, like the Puritans, objected to the use of any wedding ring at all. David Hackett Fischer, Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America (New York, 1989), 81.
74. Jenna Joselit Weissman, Wonders of America: Reinventing Jewish Culture, 1880-1950 (New York, 1994), 36; George Frederick Kunz, Rings for the Finger (Philadelphia, 1917). 230.
75. Jenna Joselit Weissman, Wonders of America: Reinventing Jewish Culture, 1880-1950 (New York, 1994), 36; George Frederick Kunz, Rings for the Finger (Philadelphia, 1917). 230.
76. "Why the Jewelry Publicity Board," Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (June 1944), 158.
77. "Ring Twice," Fortune Magazine (November 1947), 148.
78. Department store employees at Strawbridge & Clothier and factory workers at Maidenform reported in their company newsletters accounts of marrying in double ring ceremonies. The years these ceremonies were reported were 1944-57 at Strawbridge & Clothier, and 1951-54 at Maidenform. Earlier or later double ring ceremonies were possible, but either were not reported as such or the available archival material did not support a search for the ritual. Strawbridge & Clothier Collection, Hagley Museum and Library; Maidenform Collection, Archives Center, NMAH.
79. Robey Lyle, Mademoiselle's Handbook for Bridal Consultants (New York, 1946), 37. "Confetti," Bride's Magazine (Summer 1943), 49; "The Fable of the Enchanted Diamond," The Wedding Belle (June 1948), 33.
80. Robey Lyle, Mademoiselle's Handbook for Bridal Consultants (New York, 1946), 37. "Confetti," Bride's Magazine (Summer 1943), 49; "The Fable of the Enchanted Diamond," The Wedding Belle (June 1948), 33.
81. Robey Lyle, Mademoiselle's Handbook for Bridal Consultants (New York, 1946), 37. "Confetti," Bride's Magazine (Summer 1943), 49; "The Fable of the Enchanted Diamond," The Wedding Belle (June 1948), 33.
82. "In the Editor's Mail box," The Wedding Belle (July 1948), 5.
83. "Wedding Rings for the Men Builds Volume for This Store," Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (April 1946), 220. The store attributed its success to this campaign and to its buying efforts to coordinate styles for men and women's rings
84. " '1847' Double Wedding Ring Chest," Department Store Economist (April 1949), 39.
85. Groom's rings that matched the bride's wedding band could be quite elaborate. For example, see the wide range of patterns depicted in The Allen Monthly, June Wedding and Graduates Special (Chicago, 1947), 6, Hagley Museum and Library.
86. "Wedding Rings for the Men Builds Volume for This Store," Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (April 1946), 220. Other attempts to use wartime sentiment to sell rings appeared. For example, jewelers promoted the friendship ring, which consisted of a clasped hand symbol. See Criterion, Rohde-Spencer, 1942, 21, trade catalog, Hagley Museum and Library.
87. "Wedding Rings for the Men Builds Volume for This Store," Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (April 1946), 220. Other attempts to use wartime sentiment to sell rings appeared. For example, jewelers promoted the friendship ring, which consisted of a clasped hand symbol. See Criterion, Rohde-Spencer, 1942, 21, trade catalog, Hagley Museum and Library.
88. "Men in the Armed Services: Most Important Post-War Influence," The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (January 1944), 14-15.
89. Robert Westbrook makes a similar argument about working-class womanhood and pin-ups as "objects of obligation." See Robert B. Westbrook, " 'I want a Girl, Just Like the Girl that Married Harry James': American Women and the Problem of Political Obligation," American Quarterly 42 (December 1990): 605-606, 596-604. For a discussion of the links between consumption, democracy, and citizenship in a pre-World War Two context, see Charles McGovern, "Consumption and Citizenship in the United States, 1900-1940," in Getting and Spending: European and American Consumer Societies in the Twentieth Century, ed. Susan Strasser, Charles McGovern, Matthias Judt (Cambridge, 1998), 37-58.
90. Robert Westbrook makes a similar argument about working-class womanhood and pin-ups as "objects of obligation." See Robert B. Westbrook, " 'I want a Girl, Just Like the Girl that Married Harry James': American Women and the Problem of Political Obligation," American Quarterly 42 (December 1990): 605-606, 596-604. For a discussion of the links between consumption, democracy, and citizenship in a pre-World War Two context, see Charles McGovern, "Consumption and Citizenship in the United States, 1900-1940," in Getting and Spending: European and American Consumer Societies in the Twentieth Century, ed. Susan Strasser, Charles McGovern, Matthias Judt (Cambridge, 1998), 37-58.
91. "Wedding Rings for the Men Builds Volume for This Store," Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (April 1946), 220.
92. "Ring Twice," 148.
93. "Wedding Rings for the Men Builds Volume," 281.
94. R.W. Corrigan, " 'Groom's Room' Idea Bids for the 'Forgotten Man,' " The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (September 1946), 250; Bob Corrigan, "'Groom's Room Store Gives Cupid a Push,' " The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (November 1946), 242. Department stores sought male consumers in the postwar period and attempted to promote shopping as a family experience. See Liz Cohen, "From Town Center to Shopping Center: The Reconfiguration of Community Marketplaces in Postwar America," in His and Hers: Gender, Consumption, and Technology, ed. Roger Horowitz and Arwen Mohun (Charlottesville, 1998), 214-215.
95. R.W. Corrigan, " 'Groom's Room' Idea Bids for the 'Forgotten Man,' " The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (September 1946), 250; Bob Corrigan, "'Groom's Room Store Gives Cupid a Push,' " The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (November 1946), 242. Department stores sought male consumers in the postwar period and attempted to promote shopping as a family experience. See Liz Cohen, "From Town Center to Shopping Center: The Reconfiguration of Community Marketplaces in Postwar America," in His and Hers: Gender, Consumption, and Technology, ed. Roger Horowitz and Arwen Mohun (Charlottesville, 1998), 214-215.
96. R.W. Corrigan, " 'Groom's Room' Idea Bids for the 'Forgotten Man,' " The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (September 1946), 250; Bob Corrigan, "'Groom's Room Store Gives Cupid a Push,' " The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (November 1946), 242. Department stores sought male consumers in the postwar period and attempted to promote shopping as a family experience. See Liz Cohen, "From Town Center to Shopping Center: The Reconfiguration of Community Marketplaces in Postwar America," in His and Hers: Gender, Consumption, and Technology, ed. Roger Horowitz and Arwen Mohun (Charlottesville, 1998), 214-215.
97. "Wedding Rings for the Men Builds Volume for This Store," Jewelers' Circular-Keystone (April 1946), 279.
98. Criterion, Rohde-Spencer, 1942, 24-5, trade catalog, Hagley Museum and Library.
99. Bailey, From Front Porch, 41-42. Also see Hartman, The Home Front and Beyond.
100. Bailey, From Front Porch, 41-42. Also see Hartman, The Home Front and Beyond.
101. Eugene Gilbert, Advertising and Marketing to Young People (Pleasantville, NY, 1957), 298-99. Trade literature for department stores suggested that retailers promote diamond engagement rings by placing them in ads directed at teen age and misses fashion. "Diamonds Sell, Slowly But Surely," Department Store Economist (September 1949), 103.
102. Eugene Gilbert, Advertising and Marketing to Young People (Pleasantville, NY, 1957), 298-99. Trade literature for department stores suggested that retailers promote diamond engagement rings by placing them in ads directed at teen age and misses fashion. "Diamonds Sell, Slowly But Surely," Department Store Economist (September 1949), 103.
103. Gilbert, Advertising and Marketing, 303. For example, 12.4 percent of the total sample already owned silverplate flatware, while 9.8 percent owned sterling.
104. Bailey, From Front Porch, 42-43. For an account of married students on campus, see Elaine Tyler May, Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era (New York, 1988), 78-80.
105. Bailey, From Front Porch, 42-43. For an account of married students on campus, see Elaine Tyler May, Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era (New York, 1988), 78-80.
106. Gilbert, Advertising and Marketing, 302.
107. Robert Griswold, Fatherhood in America, 188-189.
108. Elaine Tyler May has amply demonstrated the links between political and family values in the postwar period. In the context of her work, the double ring ceremony fit into the home-centered culture created in response to Cold War fears. The postwar containment of sexuality she describes can also be extended to my interpretation of the groom's ring. See Homeward Bound.
109. Robert Griswold, Fatherhood in America, 89.
110. Robert Griswold, Fatherhood in America, 194.
111. For example, see the varying perspectives in the articles collected in Nancy Walker, ed. Women's Magazines 1940-1960: Gender Roks and the Popular Press (Boston, 1998). For a discussion of alternate popular conceptions of female roles, see Joanne Meyerowitz, "Beyond the Feminine Mystique: A Reassessment of Postwar Mass Culture, 1946-1958," in Not June Cleaver ed. Joanne Meyerowitz (Temple University Press, 1994).
112. For example, see the varying perspectives in the articles collected in Nancy Walker, ed. Women's Magazines 1940-1960: Gender Roks and the Popular Press (Boston, 1998). For a discussion of alternate popular conceptions of female roles, see Joanne Meyerowitz, "Beyond the Feminine Mystique: A Reassessment of Postwar Mass Culture, 1946-1958," in Not June Cleaver ed. Joanne Meyerowitz (Temple University Press, 1994).
113. Andrew Hurley, Diners, Bowling Alleys, and Trailer Parks: Chasing the American Dream in Postwar Consumer Culture (New York, 2001), 5. Also, see Elaine Tyler May, Homeward Bound.
114. Andrew Hurley, Diners, Bowling Alleys, and Trailer Parks: Chasing the American Dream in Postwar Consumer Culture (New York, 2001), 5. Also, see Elaine Tyler May, Homeward Bound.
115. Maiden Forum (February 1947), 4. Maidenform Collection, Archives Center, NMAH.
116. For a discussion of class differences in fatherhood and masculine identity, see Robert Griswold, Fatherhood in America, chapter 9.
117. Weiss, To Have and To Hold, 23. Bailey, From Front Porch, 34-35.
118. Weiss, To Have and To Hold, 23. Bailey, From Front Porch, 34-35.
119. For example, see "Ebony Contest Winner Takes a Bride," Ebony Magazine (June 1960). Also, see Harriette Cole, Jumping the Broom: the African-American Wedding Planner (Henry Holt & Co., 1993), 40.
120. For example, see "Ebony Contest Winner Takes a Bride," Ebony Magazine (June 1960). Also, see Harriette Cole, Jumping the Broom: the African-American Wedding Planner (Henry Holt & Co., 1993), 40.
121. "Brides on Parade," Bride's Magazine (Spring 11943), 34.