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Trade in Dreams: A Century of Egyptian Print Advertising

Trade in Dreams: A Century of Egyptian Print Advertising

by Shehab, Bahia
No customer reviews yet ISBN 9781649033024 The American University in Cairo Press

A lavishly illustrated cultural history of print advertising in Egypt

At the tail end of the nineteenth century, the Industrial Revolution was shifting economies and redrawing global power maps. In this changing world, advertising became more than just a way to sell products--it was a powerful tool that shaped ideas about what to buy, why to buy it, and what it means to be modern. In colonized societies, these changes came swiftly and dramatically.

Drawing on over 350 images of magazine and newspaper ads, Bahia Shehabreveals how consumer culture intertwined with political, social, and economic change during the period between 1880 and 1980 in Egypt. She shows how the Egyptian market navigated the influx of European and American luxury goods, from fine fabrics and jewelry to agricultural machinery, and how these items became symbols of aspiration and, at times, ignited a wave of national resistance. At once a visual feast and a compelling history of commerce and industry in Egypt, A Trade in Dreams sheds light on a time when ads did more than sell--they mirrored dreams, ambitions, and the realities of a nation in transition.

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Product details

BrandThe American University in Cairo Press
Pub dateMay 26, 2026
ISBN-101649033028
ISBN-139781649033024
Bindingpaperback
Print length252 pages
LanguageEnglish
Dimensions8.25 × 2 × 9.5 in
Weight2 lb
Last updated 2026-09-07 16:28
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