ABSTRACT
This is the story of the return of the printed catalog via the dreamy, reflective, and hypertextual surface of the Web page. It is almost as if we failed to notice the aesthetic and dramatic quality of the catalog until the Web started looking like one—albeit an electronic one. In this chapter, I attempt to capture the retro nature of the catalog. It is not clear if the Web page signifies the last hurrah for the catalog or whether it announces its resurrection in electronic guise. I can picture the Web page in two ways—one is to view it in opposition to the catalog, as a new kid on the block poking fun at its ageing ancestor whose days are numbered, and the other is to see the Web as the next catalogic (pardon my neologism) incarnation paying homage to its long-lasting, never-say-die friend that has inspired the Web to be what it is now. Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between, as they say. To verify my point I went to the Web sites of Lands’ End and Victoria’s Secret, both successful as catalog companies selling clothes to the unsuspecting public. One sells clothes that are wholesome, the other sells garments that bare the sculpted body. I also managed to get copies of their printed catalogs. In my aesthetic judgment, the printed catalog has a slight edge. To hear the rest of the story, please read the remainder of the chapter.
