State Historical Society of Iowa

Saleswoman Arranging Figurines at J.C. Penney in Des Moines, Iowa, February 1949

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Adult woman standing in front of six-shelf display of glassware in J.C. Penny department store.
Courtesy of the State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines Register & Tribune, February 1949

Description

#1 Occupation: Retail Trade Saleswoman or Sales Clerk
The J.C. Penney Company department store in Des Moines, Iowa, was a large store that arranged items into different departments. This sales clerk was arranging figurines in the glassware department. Sales clerks helped customers pick out the items they were looking for, and retail trade saleswomen helped to connect stores like the J.C. Penney Company with the factories that make the products they want to sell in their store.

Source-Dependent Questions

  • What is the working environment for a sales clerk?
  • What skills does this sales clerk need in order to be successful at her job?
  • How did a retail trade salesmen and a store clerk in the 1950s work to connect producers with consumers?