American Artifacts: Essays in Material Culture | 
| Creators: Jules David Prown, Kenneth Haltman
Publisher: Michigan State University Press
Category: Book
List Price: $32.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 792993
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.1 x 0.8
ISBN: 0870135244
Dewey Decimal Number: 973
EAN: 9780870135248
ASIN: 0870135244
Publication Date: September 20, 2000
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Book Description
When defining culture, one must indeed take into account even the minutest of details. What of a lighter, for example, or a telephone? The essays in this new collection examine just that. The contributors pose not only a historical, pragmatic use for the items, but also delve into more imaginative aspects of what defines us as Americans. Both the lighter and the telephone are investigated, as well as how the lava lamp represents sixties counterculture and containment. The late nineteenth- century corset is discussed as an embodiment of womanhood, and an Amish quilt is used as an illustration of cultural continuity. These are just a few of the artifacts discussed. Scholars will be intrigued by the historical interpretations that contributors proposed concerning a teapot, card table, and locket; students will not only find merit in the expositions, but also by learning from the models how such interpretation can be carried out. This collection helps us understand that very thing that makes us who we are. Viewing these objects from both our past and our present, we can begin to define what it is to be American.
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| Customer Reviews:
Thirteen superb commentaries by men and women May 17, 2001
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
In American Artifacts: Essays In Material Culture, Jules Prown and Ken Haltman have assembled thirteen superb commentaries by men and women who articulately explore the cultural and social meanings ascribed to a variety of common objects ranging from teapots, cart tables, and quilts, to cigarette lighters, telephones, and lava lamps. Here is an impressive and "reader friendly" collection of essays that are as informative and thought-provoking as they are erudite and challenging. American Artifacts is highly recommended reading for students of American popular culture and art.
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