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Before Amazon: Mail Order in Appalachia

A virtual exhibit exploring mail order in Appalachia through the Artifacts in the Appalachian Artifacts Teaching Collection

In rural Appalachia, like all of rural America, the advent of mail order shopping was hugely impactful. Evidence is found in the array of things people owned and used—the material culture of Appalachia. Below is a selection of mail order objects found in our Appalachian Artifacts Teaching Collection.