To Market To Market (silent footage, 1942)

The footage captures various modes of transportation—Greyhound buses, trolleys, and trains—against a backdrop of colorful advertisements for products like Camel cigarettes, Aunt Jemima, and Del Monte. As the camera tours different neighborhoods, it reveals socioeconomic contrasts, with ads for products such as Old Colony beer and Budweiser outside factories aimed at working-class viewers, while others for 7UP and Trek detergent are placed in suburban areas. Children crossing beneath a 7UP billboard are referred to by the narrator as “potential consumers,” highlighting a striking wartime push for consumer influence. The scene closes on a bustling street of well-dressed Chicagoans, offering a rare moment of diversity with a fleeting shot of an African-American woman in the crowd. Concluding with a “The End” billboard, the film captures the layered cityscape of Chicago, where consumerism intersects with daily life, emphasizing the pervasive influence of marketing on urban America during this era. The film’s final color sequence offers a vibrant, bustling portrayal of 1940s Chicago through its extensive outdoor advertising and dynamic city streets. It opens with scenes of billboards for popular brands like Monarch Beer, Sunkist, and Wrigley’s Gum, strategically positioned along busy roads to capture the attention of pedestrians and drivers.

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