This essay argues that observing shop windows, both from the street and from inside the stores, is the ideal way to approach understanding modern society. Since the late 19th century, shop windows have attracted the attention of passersby and transmitted the identity and cultural values of modern society to children. Like little flâneurs, with all the time in the world to contemplate the displays, youngsters use these brief, informal lessons to explore the world, like wide-open illustrated encyclopedias. As impromptu exhibitions, they inspire artistic vocations and, like other forms of street art--billboards, posters, signs, and graffiti--powerfully influence popular and mainstream culture.
