Reading Between Bodies: Visual Media Literacy and Gender in Early Twentieth Century Newspaper Advertising

To support practices in growing visual media literacy skills, one possible research strategy is to employ critical theory to contextualize print advertising over time that is intended to reinforce a cultural ideal. This research uses tools of visual analysis and contextualization to interrogate message presentation practices across historic news sources, specifically advertisements, with the goal of understanding gender stereotypes in early 20th-century news advertisements. This research is a case study that demonstrates strategies that could be employed in other research contexts, including the university classroom environment.