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Catalog-As-Home Economy
- Sears transformed mail-order into a full domestic ecosystem by selling entire houses and their contents.
- The Modern Home Program standardized housing and treated homes like consumer goods delivered by rail.
Train Car Full Of Kit Pieces
- Rosemary Thornton describes opening a rail car to find 12,000 pieces of framing lumber and 20,000 cedar shakes.
- The kit included every door, doorknob, and even the fireplace mantle, all pre-cut like a giant Ikea set.
Follow The Kit Instructions
- Follow Sears' instruction manual closely and avoid deviating from the prescribed build steps.
- The catalog warned explicitly: do not accept anyone's advice on how this house should be built.