Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-01-27

get around TO saying a few
words about one of the most
amusing pieces Of American his
tory-and one Of the most ilumi-
nating-that l have read in many
a long month. That is Mr.. David
Coins '"The Good Old Days
history" as the subtitle tells us,
"of American morals and manners
as seen through the Sears-Roebuck
cataIogs l905-19io.
The idea Of chronicling the his
:ory OF a civilization through what
II buys is similar to an archeologi-
cal expedition, which reconstructs
a forgotten era by the instruments.
utensils, clothing. cosmetics and
house-furnishings that are found
in tombs or buried cities.
Mr.. Cehn has discovered in the
Sears Roebuck catalogs the Hercu-
Ianeum of the Taft-to-Franklin
Roosevelt era.
And his book is record OF
amazing change. Leaving ideolo-
cies aside, this history OF Turkish
rockers, gold ear-spoons with
toothpick combined. mustache
cups, hair rats, TO tractors and
streamlined washing machines is a
little Worlds Fair. Half century
of progress.
TT IS also a record of the eman-
i eipation of women, The front
sections of the catalog, which, in
. the good old days. were devoted
TO buggies, stoves and hardware
are now turned over to women S
clothes.
And the evolution of women's
Clothes shows that women's rights
have not only included the vote
and the university but the right to
dress like human beings.
We learn that the trailing skirt
that once swept the streets began
TO. be shortened by the habit OF
bicycle riding which the Boston
Womafl's Rescue League described
as immoral.
From the hesitantiy launched
bicycle to the brazenly advertised
ski of 1910 is history of Ameri-
can freedom: Freedom of move
ment.
II is also a history of American
marriage-fr the secluded
harem TO the free-swinging COM
rade who carries a rifle and leaps
down hillsfdes with her mate.
DUT woman's dress also has its
ID economic and social aspects
America has effortlessly moved
from cotton to silk in woman S
garments, from bulky woolens TO
I. sleek tweeds. from clumsy shoes
TO graceful pumps and oxfords.
The result is that the United
States is still the only country IN
the world where the farmer s
daughter, who picks her clothes
from a mail-order catalog, ard
the Park avenue lady, who buys
on Fifth avenue, are sisters over
their skin
The democracy of American
dress is unique. The United States
is the only country still where
people do not wear in their cloth
ing the badge of class-the only
one except for those where every
orc is in the same uniform.
The social striving behind the
brown or black shirt includes the
attempt TO abolish class differ
- sees-hy-s uniformity eff Clothing
America has solved the question
in. its own through infinite
diversity of design with mass pro-
: duction.
A READING of this book reveals
"A also that while quality has
gone up and taste has improved
prices have gone down. The
American consumer of mass
produced articles gets more for
his money than any other con-
sumner in the world.
This is an effective distribution
OF wealth and is the greatest
achievement OF American capital
ism. From silk stockings to Gas
stoves il is without rival.
The evolution of the farm from
back breaking labor to urban
civilization is here overwhelmingly
recorded.
From ice house and milk-cocl.
ing IN Wells 10 The cleaning cleo
trio refrigerator bought for a lev
dollars a month. from the zinc
washtub and corrugated board &c
the machine that washes ard
wrings. is an emancipation proc1a
nation without civil war - az
emancipation that has lengthcneC
the lives Of farm women, VIII,
actually today live as long as theil
husbands or longer.
II used TO take about three farm
wives for one husbands lifetime
as the country cemeteries show.
Published by Simon and schus'er s. -
Copyright. 1851 Sew York Tribune. Inc
All rights reserved
For the Inside News" Of
Washington, Follow Paul NAL
Ions Column In the Times.