Talk with Kathy Collins from 7/22/20.

Often while analyzing archaeological data, a seemingly ordinary artifact or assemblage tells an unexpected story. In my case, this was the dozen amber embossed bleach bottles from the Whaley House collection. While analyzing the collection, I developed several basic research questions: when was bleach introduced, who used it, and most importantly, why? This “why” led to an exploration of marketing, branding, and consumption. Why was a product like Clorox (unknown at the turn of the 20th century) widely consumed and considered essential circa WWII? Did an increase in exposure to brand name advertising correlate with increased bleach consumption? By taking a look at various trends around the WWII era, I became aware of the profound impact of advertising and marketing on bleach consumption. This is an important factor to consider as we contemplate what the archaeological record of the future will look like. In this presentation I will briefly discuss my findings, a short history of bleach, how brand marketing and advertising affect the consumer, and what it means to the archaeological record.

The San Diego Archaeological Center is a nonprofit curation facility and museum where visitors can learn the story of how people have lived in San Diego County for the past 10,000 years. In addition to its role as a museum, the Center serves as an education and research facility and is the only local organization dedicated to the collection, study, curation and exhibition of San Diego County’s archaeological artifacts. Learn more at [ Ссылка ]

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the San Diego Archaeological Center.

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