The Past Speaks

I was asked to post the following statement by Stanley J. Shapiro, Prof-Emeritus of Marketing, Simon Fraser University
sshapiro at sfu.ca. Stanley recently co-edited a special “Canadian” issue for the Journal of Historical Research in Marketing. What he is proposing here sounds like a really great initiative.

After co-editing a special “Canadian” issue for the Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, I have come to recognize the need for a Canadian Centre that would focus on the History of Advertising, Retailing, Marketing, Distribution and, Cultures of Consumption. I have no particular university in mind for this. In fact you might consider my task one of fashioning a proposal to be “sold” to a potentially interested Canadian University. I don’t even know what the home department might be though some sort of linkage between Business and Economic history seems in order.

I have found one possible prototype to copy as far as programming is concerned, CHORD in the United Kingdom, but there must be others out there. I am assuming, in addition to sponsoring research, the Centre would serve as a first point of electronic interest to those interested in the subject. I also envisage the university’s library physically both amassing a core collection of the most relevant books in the area and providing archival support. Beyond that, I do not know. However, I am fairly certain that there are other Centres out there that might provide prototypes for what I have in mind. Consequently, I would appreciate any one who could help contacting me

As I have told Stanley, I think that the best place for this centre would be Western. Western already has the Canadian Tire archive in its special collections and its history department is the strongest in business history in Canada. Another option would the Rotman School of Business in Toronto.