Souvenir Nation

by William L. Bird, Jr.

2013 · Chronicle Books

Buried within the collection of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History exists an astonishing group of historical relics from the pre-Revolutionary War era to the present day, many of which have never been on display. Donated to the museum by generations of souvenir collectors, these ordinary objects of extraordinary circumstance all have amazing tales to tell about their roles in American history. Souvenir Nation presents fifty of the museum's most eccentric items. Objects include a chunk broken off Plymouth Rock; a lock of Andrew Jackson's hair; a dish towel used as the flag of truce to end the Civil War; the microphones used by FDR for his Fireside Chats; and the chairs that seated Nixon and Kennedy in their 1960 television debate.

The 1950s

by William H. Young

2004 · Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Have the 1950s been overly romanticized? Beneath the calm, conformist exterior, new ideas and attitudes were percolating. This was the decade of McCarthyism, Levittowns, and men in gray flannel suits, but the 1950s also saw bold architectural styles, the rise of paperback novels and the Beat writers, Cinema Scope and film noir, television variety shows, the Golden Age of the automobile, subliminal advertising, fast food, Frisbees, and silly putty. Meanwhile, teens attained a more prominent role in American culture with hot rods, rock 'n' roll, preppies and greasers, and—gasp—juvenile delinquency. At the same time, a new technological threat, the atom bomb, lurked beneath the surface of the postwar decade. This volume presents a nuanced look at a surprisingly complex time in American popular culture.

Latin American Cultural Objects and Episodes

by William H. Beezley

2020 · John Wiley & Sons

Delight in the cultural aspects of Latin America by observing the objects that give life to history Latin American Cultural Objects and Episodes provides readers with an eclectic and fascinating exploration of Latin American history through the examination of physical objects. Distinguished author and Professor William H. Beezley takes readers on a journey that includes objects used music and visual media, such as movies, documentaries, and television. Forming an integral part of the history they represent, the objects described in this book tell the tale of the little known or neglected part of Latin American history. While most historical authors and researchers focus on the political and economic life of Latin America, this author uses the objects he highlights to explain and illuminate the daily lives of the Latin American peoples and the legacies that they share. Forming an essential part of a comprehensive understanding of Latin American history, the book includes discussions and explorations of: How objects have transformed and shaped the cultures of Latin America over the years Unusual and interesting objects serendipitously discovered by a variety of researchers and historians Ten chapters, each beginning with an object acting as a synecdoche or metonym that introduces a discussion of Latin American historical life The significance of the objects to particular religious practices, musical traditions, or schools of visual media, such as folk art, film or television Perfect for anyone interested in Latin American life beyond politics and economics, Latin American Cultural Objects and Episodes belongs on the bookshelves of everyone with a curiosity about culture in Latin America as it's revealed through physical objects.