You are invited to join the Consumer and Popular Cultures History Reading Group--a small, informal group of scholars of history(primarily, but not limited to, current or recent graduate students) with a diversity of interests from the Toronto area who meet approximately six times during the academic year to discuss various topics in popular and consumer cultures.

Occassionally, we discuss recent significant published works, but we usually discuss an original paper, distributed in advance, and written by one of the participants. Past topics have included advertising and marketing, department stores in Western New York, Little Orphan Annie comics, gender and consumer culture in the American Revolution, donuts and the folklore of mass culture in Canada, the 'no-beer-no-work' strike (that never was) in 1920s United States, the creation of the historic site at Sault St. Marie among the Hurons, and illegal drug use in Canada. The focus has generally been on US and Canadian topics, but this is solely due to the composition of the membership. We welcome participants and papers in any area of popular and consumer culture history.

If you are interested in joining in the fun, please contact me at the email address below. Indicate when you would be available to meet, your research interests, etc.