Egyptian print media has historically functioned as a cultural barometer, shifting from the early official bulletins of the 20th century into a relentless and aggressive form of capitalism on steroids. Professor Bahia Shehab discusses her book, "A Trade in Dreams: A Century of Egyptian Print Advertising", unpacking how visual culture has been both a witness to and a victim of political upheaval. Her research illuminates a century where advertising functioned as legalized psychological operations, deeply embedded in the daily life of Cairo. By dissecting the visual language of the past, she provides a necessary framework for understanding the mono-culture and flattening of aesthetic diversity in the modern era.
00:00 Introduction
01:32 Invention of the Egyptian Press
04:00 The Business Model of Early Advertising
05:50 Motivations for Researching Advertising History
08:20 Discoveries in Beauty Standards and Race
09:55 Sequential Chronology and Political Tectonic Shifts
12:13 Napoleon, Egyptomania, and Early Visual Communication
17:14 1920s–1940s: Agriculture and the Tobacco Export Industry
20:00 Professionalization and Multinational Ad Agencies
22:31 Hybrid Aesthetics: International vs. Local Design
27:21 The Nasser Era: Socialism and Nationalized Media
30:57 The Sadat Era: Peace Treaties and the Open Door Policy
32:33 Influential Figures and the Silencing of Female Voices
37:01 Domination of the Soap Industry
48:58 The 1940s: The Golden Age of Egyptian Advertising
57:04 Egypt’s Leading Role in Regional Advertising
59:08 Book Tour and Future Perspectives
Bahia Shehab is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, political activist and historian whose work focuses on the interaction and intersection of modern identity and ancient cultural heritage. Her imaginative combination of calligraphy and Islamic art history produced cutting edge, beautiful, impactful street art during the Arab Spring and continues to inform her work as an educator and designer. Having always been concerned with identity and preserving cultural heritage, she investigates art history to reinterpret contemporary Arab politics, feminist discourse and social issues. Her culturally oriented work enables her to use history as a means to better understand the present and find solutions for the future. She believes that art may be employed for the purposes of social change and has explored this phenomenon through her artwork, which focuses on socially charged themes such as the Arab identity and women's rights. Her research is largely concerned with understanding the Arabic letters and has been preoccupied with Arabic calligraphy in much of her work. Her work has been displayed in exhibitions around the world and she has received several awards and recognition for her achievements.
Connect with Bahia Shehab 👉 https://instagram.com/bahiashehab
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