Satisfaction Guaranteed
The Mail Order Catalogue in Canada
Offered from January 14 to May 9, 2008.
A look at Canada’s golden age of mail order catalogues and how they appealed to the dreams and aspirations of consumers. For generations of Canadians, the mail order catalogue was the most convenient way to shop. Today, our memory of the catalogue is bathed in nostalgia. Take a step back in time to the period between 1880 and 1960, to discover that mail order was also a sophisticated business designed to satisfy large groups of customers.
Satisfaction Guaranteed is a travelling exhibit produced by the Canadian Postal Museum and the Canadian Museum of Civilization. It features over 100 artefacts of all kinds, including 40 catalogues (Sears, Eaton’s, Dupuis Frères), articles of clothing, toys, religious objects, musical instruments, household appliances and 14 showcases with discovery drawers.
This self discovery program provides teachers with the resources they need to lead their students through the exhibit. To assist teachers and students to get the most out of this exhibit, the Museum of Civilization has developed a website Before E-commerce: A History of Canadian Mail–order Catalogues filled with activities for both elementary and secondary students.
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