The Ornament of the Masses. Weimar Essays

"The Ornament of the Masses" is a collection of articles by German sociologist and cultural theorist Siegfried Kracauer (1889-1966), united by the theme of contemporary mass art and technical innovations. His essays are dedicated to both a general analysis of the influence of capitalism on all forms of mass art (in the article that gave the collection its title) and more specific manifestations of it. In addition to reflections on the connection between photography and human memory in the article "Photography," the book includes essays on the typewriter, technical devices in restaurants, and the transformation of poetry and creativity into soulless commerce.