-Jukebox- still bank c. 1960s

This -Jukebox- still bank, of unknown date and maker, encapsulates postwar optimism in its bright plastic form. Its mint green and yellow coloring, along with the stylized starbursts, speak to a mid-century vision of the future. The object is a child's bank shaped like a jukebox, an object that provided entertainment and social gathering in public spaces. The jukebox bank then becomes a site where consumption, music, and saving are all intertwined. Its small size mirrors childhood, when saving becomes a way to learn self-discipline and delayed gratification. It also tells a larger story about how mid-century American culture sought to instill particular values and aspirations, linking personal finance with cultural participation. The anonymity of the artist only emphasizes how these values were being disseminated on a broad societal scale. Here, the personal act of saving is tied to larger cultural narratives of consumerism, social interaction, and the shaping of individual identity.