Studies in American Material Culture

Studies in American Material Culture
Villanova University HIS 8002
Temple University HIS 433
Spring 2001

Dr. Charlene Mires
charlene.mires@villanova.edu
(610) 519-6935 (voice mail)

Course web page: http://www.homepage.villanova.edu/charlene.mires/mcgrad.htm

Welcome to Studies in American Material Culture. This seminar offers an introduction to the field of material culture studies, with particular emphasis on the relationships between artifacts and the construction of historical memory. Your responsibilities for the seminar are:

Critical reading, with attention to theory and method of material culture analysis.
Adding to discussions with artifacts related to assigned reading.
Leading one week's discussion, with a partner.
Preparing a research paper analyzing one local historical monument (or a set of closely related monuments). This project will take the form of a 10- to 15-page paper suitable for a 20-minute oral presentation, including illustrations (preferably slides).

Schedule

Books in bold are available in the bookstore. Readings on reserve are identified as follows: T=Temple, Paley Library; TCC=Temple Center City; V=Villanova., Falvey Library.

For your reference, the following anthologies have been placed on reserve:

Lubar and Kingery, History from Things: Essays on Material Culture (T,V)
Martin and Garrison, American Material Culture: The Shape of the Field (T)
Martinez and Ames, The Material Culture of Gender, the Gender of Material Culture (T,V)
Prown, American Artifacts (T)
Schlereth, Material Culture Studies in America (T,V)
Schlereth, Material Culture: A Research Guide (T).

For tables of contents (other than Schlereth books, which are in the book store), see the course web page. Also see the web page for contents of the Winterthur Portfolio, 1991-2000.

Readings	Monument Project
Jan. 22 - Introductions
Jan. 29 - History and scope of the field Thomas J. Schlereth, "Material Culture Studies in America, 1876-1976," in Schlereth, *Material Culture Studies in America* (book on reserve T, V). Cary Carson, "Material Culture History: The Scholarship Nobody Knows," in Martin and Garrison, American Material Culture: The Shape of the Field (copy of chapter on reserve, T, V; book on reserve, T). Selected articles: Choose at least two essays/articles in *Material Culture Studies in America* (Chapters 13-24), other material culture anthologies, or the last ten years of the Winterthur Portfolio. Select articles that relate to time period or topics you have previously studies or researched. Consider the extent to which artifact study does or does not add to your previous understanding.	Choose monument
Feb. 5 - Theoretical approaches to artifacts Extend the discussion this week by bringing a household artifact to analyze using one or more of the approaches described in the reading. Schlereth, "Material Culture and Cultural Research," in Schlereth, *Material Culture: A Research Guide* Schlereth, Material Culture Studies in America, chapters 2-6. Jules David Prown, "The Truth of Material Culture: History or Fiction?" in Lubar and Kingery, Learning From Things, and Prown, American Artifacts (chapter on reserve T,TCC,V; book on reserve, T.) David Lowenthal, The Past is a Foreign Country, chapter 5, "How We Know the Past" (copies of chapter on reserve, T, TCC, V). Allen Radley, "Artefacts, Memory, and a Sense of the Past," in Middleton and Edwards, Collective Remembering (copies of chapter on reserve, T, TCC, V).	See course web page for bibliographies on monuments public memory.
Feb. 12 - Artifacts and Archaeology Extend the discussion by viewing an archaeological exhibit (Franklin Court, Atwater Kent Museum, University of Pennsylvania Museum or others) and consider the interpretation of artifacts OR sample an archaeology journal. Deetz, In Small Things Forgotten Optional: Schlereth, "Social History Scholarship and Material Culture Research" in Schlereth, *Material Culture: A Research Guide.*	Preliminary monument analysis (2-3 pages, in-depth description from on-site investigation)
Feb. 19 - Decorative Arts Extend the discussion by bringing in an illustration of contemporary home furnishings for analysis. Ames, *Death in the Dining Room and Other Tales of Victorian Culture* Optional: Ames, "The Stuff of Everyday Life: American Decorative Arts and Household Furnishings" in *Material Culture: A Research Guide*	Research conferences before class.
Feb. 26 - Monuments Extend the discussion with a progress report on your monument project. Savage, *Standing Soldiers, Kneeling Slaves*	Research conferences before class.
March 6 - SPRING BREAK
March 12 - Monuments, Museums, and Memory Readings to be announced.	Research conferences before class.
March 19 - Artifacts and Oral Tradition Extend the discussion by visiting an exhibit of African or African-American culture OR reading the special issue of Winterthur Portfolio, Winter 1998. Tobin, *Hidden in Plain View* Optional: Bronner, "Visible Proofs: Material Culture Study in Folkloristics" in *Material Culture: A Research Guide*
March 26 - Artifacts and Belief Extend the discussion by bringing to class an artifact (or illustration of an artifact) that communicates belief. McDannell, *Material Christianity*
April 2 - Historical Landscapes and Public Memory Extend the discussion with examples of other constructed historical landscapes. Wilson, *The Myth of Santa Fe* Optional: Lewis, "Learning From Looking: Geographic and Other Writing About the American Landscape" and Upton, "The Power of Things: Recent Studies in American Vernacular Architecture" in *Material Culture: A Research Guide.*
April 9 - No class; conferences available during class time. (Villanova Easter break).
April 16 - Presentations.
April 23 - Presentations.
April 30 - Presentations.	Papers due.