April 8 – September 4, 1999
Every shopkeeper and merchant’s primary objective is to sell merchandise. When the giant nineteenth century dry goods establishments like Marshall Field & Co. shifted their business from wholesale to retail the visual display of goods became necessary to attract the retail customer. The store windows no longer simply allowed natural light to shine in the building or act as storage space for stock,
they became important venues to attractively display the store’s merchandise. Gradually, the design aesthetic used in window displays moved indoors and became part of the overall interior store design, eventually displacing the importance windows altogether in suburban malls.
“Looking at the store windows is great entertainment because you can see all of these things and be really glad it’s not in your home filling up your closets and drawers.”
– Andy Warhol