The department store is a material object of great importance and its study would benefit from a material culture approach. However, as a large and diverse entity the department store is a troublesome artifact to define with object terminology and it is difficult to place it in material culture methodology. I will now describe the process I experienced in arriving at a methodology for analyzing department stores and how I ultimately opted for a synthesis of different models. When I began my study of material culture everything I read resonated with me, for it helped me justify my study of department stores in the context of material culture. Lewis argues that all human-made landscape including buildings have cultural meaning.
Department stores are central to consumption thus they deserve particular attention.
Jean-Claude Dupont's analysis of the poker is quite inspiring for it demonstrates the vast possibilities of exploring objects as evidence. Dupont by examining such an everyday object as a poker shows how multiple meanings and cultural values can be extracted from a common object. Finally, the work of Adrienne Hood and David-Thiery Ruddel on textiles, and Gregg Finley's work on Victorian churches demonstrate the importance of connecting object study to other written sources. For an understanding of the department store this is essential. All these works helped me form my initial interpretation of material culture scholarship.