-The Arizona Bank (delivery truck)- still bank 1979

Editor: This handcrafted wooden still bank, in the shape of an Arizona Bank delivery truck from 1979, feels incredibly nostalgic and quaint. Seeing this piece in a museum makes me wonder about its place, though. How do we move from seeing this as a simple carving to interpreting its larger cultural context? Curator: It’s interesting that you call it nostalgic. Can you elaborate on what evokes that feeling? Is it the specific design of the delivery truck or maybe the connection to a seemingly simpler financial landscape in the United States? The image invokes themes of capitalism for a child that we can reflect on and analyze now. Editor: It is probably both of those. The simplicity makes it appear almost innocent but I guess its purpose of holding money connects it to larger economic structures that are now almost always present in contemporary art. Curator: Precisely. Think about what this object would have represented in 1979. On one level, a cute wooden toy for teaching children about money management. However, as historians, we must examine who had access to banks in the past, which groups were excluded, and how advertising like this played a part in normalizing those disparities. It may reflect a simplified and possibly sanitized image of finance that needs interrogation. How effective are these banks now for teaching money management to future generations of citizens? Editor: That gives a whole new weight to this small carving. I hadn't thought about access to banks or who this was even intended for back then, as opposed to now in a museum. Curator: Indeed. Looking at everyday objects like this lets us unravel larger socio-political narratives. They often provide valuable, accessible insights that are just below the surface, don’t you agree? Editor: Absolutely. It highlights the role that financial institutions have in children's lives, shaping perspectives on saving, spending, and even their place in the larger economy. Curator: Exactly, and museums provide that crucial space for these re-evaluations. Now I'll always remember it differently!