Abstract

As part of the material turn studies, this article analyzes the mundane items which could be found in Milanese homes at the end of the fascist period. Its peculiarity relies on the type of sources, namely the pledges deposited at the Mount of Piety in Milan, during a period from 1938 to 1942. Analyzing a segment of the daily deposits, the study reconstructs the main categories of items deposited (linens, clothing, equipment, household and mobility technologies). The detailed analysis deconstructs some widespread stereotypes related to domesticity, showing how objects designate precise hierarchies within the home, even related to gender, and shows the ongoing transformations in the technical and cultural spheres.