CHORD (the Centre for the History of Retailing and Distribution) will hold a conference on "Retailing and the Senses: Historical Perspectives," which will take place on September 5, 2013, at the Marks & Spencer Archives in Leeds. Proposals are invited for papers that explore the relationship between retailing and the senses, in
Britain and beyond. Papers may focus on both buying and selling, approaching the topic from any discipline and focusing on any historical period. Contributions should explore the connections between retailing and any one or more of the senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing, as well as the "sixth sense." Proposals are welcome for 20-minute papers and for shorter 10-minute papers (all papers will be followed by 10 minutes for questions and discussion). To submit a proposal, please send title and abstract of c. 300/400 words to Laura Ugolini at l.ugolini@wlv.ac.uk and Karin Dannehl at k.dannehl2@wlv.ac.uk by April 15, 2013.The full call for papers can be found on the CHORD website.
The Princeton University Library has digitized a number of posters from the Interborough Rapid Transit Subway Company . The posters, designed by the public relations firm Ivy Lee, were displayed in subway cars to provide information to riders about changes in fares and routes, safety issues, and other matters of interest. The collection consists of 385 images dating from 1918 to 1932; many of them provide financial information about rates, company dividends, and a general look at an early rapid transit system. October 29, update: Jonathan Rees over at "More or Less Bunk" was moved by this post to go off in search of a better site, and found the massive collection of the London Transport Museum , which displays over 5,000 items in a searchable collection .
