This course focuses on artifacts as sources for understanding past cultures, with emphasis on both academic scholarship and the field of public history. Using readings covering a wide range of time periods and topics in American history, we will discuss the development of material culture studies, methodologies of material culture; relationships between artifactual and textual evidence; artifacts as sources for historians; the characteristics and controversies of museum exhibits; and the implications of the rapid movement of material culture studies onto the World Wide Web.

Materials available in the book store
(R=books also on reserve in Falvey Library)

Books we will read in their entirety (in the order we will read them):

• Deetz, In Small Things Forgotten: An Archaeology of Early American Life (R)
• Ames, Death in the Dining Room and Other Tales of Victorian Culture (R)
• McDannell, Material Christianity: Religion and Popular Culture in America (R)
• Francaviglia, Main Street Revisited (R)
• Rydell, World of Fairs: The Century-of-Progress Expositions (R)

• Lubar, Learning From Things (R)
• Schlereth, Material Culture Studies in America (R)
• Schlereth, Material Culture: A Research Guide

• Thorough preparation and participation in all class meetings.
• With one or two other class members, leadership of one class discussion (this task requires some additional preparation to present artifacts related to the reading for the week).
• Exhibit review (5 pages)
• Historiography / artifact analysis paper (10 pages); findings to be presented during last three weeks of class.

Reading tips

In addition to paying attention to evidence and argument, be aware of the varying methodologies of material culture studies. To what extent does the author rely on artifacts? To what extent are written sources also used? Does artifact analysis lead to new insights, or could the same results be achieved through documents? What are the strengths and limitations of artifacts as sources?

Discussion leaders

The purpose of assigning discussion leaders each week is to diffuse the discussion around the table and avoid sequences of two-way exchanges between students and the professor. When it is your turn to lead discussion, you will share the responsibility with one or more other students. Please coordinate your efforts.

Your responsibility is to develop several open-ended questions to start the discussion and to keep the conversation moving from time to time (you do not have to lead the entire class). You also are expected to prepare the artifact analysis indicated on the syllabus. These analyses are not expected to be formal presentations; rather, you should interject your observations about the artifacts as they become relevant during the discussion.

Whenever possible, please bring photographs of artifacts you plan to discuss (if not the artifacts themselves).

The assignment of discussion leaders does not relieve other class members of their responsibility to prepare thoroughly and participate actively in every class meeting.

Exhibit Review
(5 pages, due Feb.25)

Write a scholarly review of a historical museum exhibit of your choice. Model your review on the exhibit reviews that appear in the Journal of American History. For a checklist of considerations when reviewing exhibits, see appendix in Schlereth, Material Culture Studies in America. Your review should demonstrate your understanding of the relationship between artifact analysis and museum display.

Historiography / Artifact Analysis Paper
(10 pages, plus endnotes and bibliography, due May 3)

For the major paper of this course, select a topic in U.S. history that you have previously studied using traditional textual sources (primary or secondary). Investigate the same topic through material culture, including a critical reading of secondary sources and at least one artifact analysis that you do yourself. Write a paper that discusses the extent to which material culture studies added (or did not add) to your understanding of the topic.

Your artifact analysis must include a discussion of methodology, referencing methods learned in this course.

Follow the citation form in Turabian, A Manual for Writers... or The Chicago Manual of Style.

Schedule of class meetings / assignments

R=In reserve room, Falvey Library

ER=In addition to paper copy in the Reserve Room, this reading is available through electronic reserve. Instructions for accessing these readings via the World Wide Web will be provided.
 

Jan. 14	First class meeting
Jan. 21	The power of artifacts: The Enola Gay and other controversies of interpretation  Linenthal, "Anatomy of a Controversy," in Linenthal, History Wars: The Enola Gay and Other Battles for the American Past Wars (R - photocopy and book on reserve shelf) Scan: Curators of the National Air and Space Museum, "The Crossroads: The End of World War II, the Atomic Bomb, and the Origins of the Cold War," in Nobile, ed., Judgment at the Smithsonian. This is the text of the intended Enola Gay exhibit. Read to the extent of your interest, focusing especially on the "historical controversies" sections. (R - photocopy) Yeingst and Bunch, "Curating the Recent Past: The Woolworth Lunch Counter, Greensboro, North Carolina," in Henderson, ed., Exhibiting Dilemmas: Issues of Representation at the Smithsonian. (ER) Search Lexis/Nexis (library database) for articles published in 1997 and 1998 about the Smithsonian's exhibit "Between a Rock and a Hard Place: A Dialogue on American Sweatshops, 1820-Present."   Optional: Browse the on-line exhibit for "Between a Rock and a Hard Place." http://www.si.edu/nmah/ve/sweatshops/
Jan. 28	Theory and method  Prown, "The Truth of Material Culture: History or Fiction?" in Lubar, History From Things (chapter ER, book on reserve shelf) Schlereth, "Material Culture and Cultural Research," in Schlereth, Material Culture: A Research Guide (ER) Schlereth, "Social History Scholarship and Material Culture Research," in Schlereth, Material Culture: A Research Guide (ER) Kouwenhoven, "American Studies: Words or Things?" in Schlereth, Material Culture Studies in America (ER, and book on reserve shelf) Hesseltine, "The Challenge of the Artifact," in Schlereth, Material Culture Studies in America (ER, and book on reserve shelf) Fleming, "Artifact Study: A Proposed Model," in Schlereth, Material Culture Studies in America (ER, and book on reserve shelf)   Browse contents of Schlereth, Material Culture Studies in America and bibliographies on course web page to get a sense of the range of topics in material culture studies.  Discussion leaders: Share analyses of artifacts of your choice, drawing upon one or more of the readings for the week.
Feb. 4	Deetz, In Small Things Forgotten (R)  Discussion leaders: Find examples of analysis of archaeological artifacts (relevant local exhibits: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology; Franklin Court archaeology exhibit at Independence National Historical Park; "Uncovering the Past" exhibit at Atwater Kent Museum).
Feb. 11	Meet in Dundale House on Villanova's West Campus.  Ames, Death in the Dining Room (R)   Discussion leaders: Consider Dundale as an artifact of Victorian-era America. (Source materials will be provided.)	Submit topic and bibliography for historiography / artifact analysis paper.
Feb. 18	McDannell, Material Christianity (R)  Discussion leaders: Consider artifacts that communicate the religious affiliation of Villanova. (Take us on a tour, if you wish.)
Feb. 25	Discussion of exhibit reviews.	Exhibit reviews due.
March 4	No class (spring break)
March 11	Francaviglia, Main Street Revisited (R)  Discussion leaders: Tell us about the cultural landscape of your home town or another "main street" of your choice.
March 18	Rydell, World of Fairs (R)  Discussion leaders: Add to our understanding of world's fairs by analyzing an artifact or group of artifacts from any world's fair. (See course web page for links to world's fair sites.)   Optional: Class members are encouraged to attend the annual meeting of the Nineteenth Century Studies Association in Philadelphia, March 19-20. The theme of the conference, "Nineteenth Century Spectacles," includes world's fairs.
March 25`	Meet in Falvey Library Viewing Room 3 Material culture on the World Wide Web Carl Smith, "Can You Do Serious History on the Web?" Perspectives, February 1998 (ER) David Silver, "Interfacing American Culture: The Perils and Potentials of Virtual Exhibitions," American Quarterly, December 1997 (ER) Browse on-line exhibits. See links on course web page. All class members: Come prepared to discuss one Web exhibit, focusing especially on the use of artifacts.
April 1	No class (Easter break)
April 8	Presentations / Discussion of individual projects
April 15	Presentations / Discussion of individual projects
April 22	Presentations / Discussion of individual projects  Optional: Class members are encouraged to attend the annual meeting of the American Association of History and Computing at Temple University, April 23-25.   The last day for spring semester classes is Wednesday, April 28. Therefore, this is our last class meeting.
May 3  MONDAY	Historiography / artifact analysis paper due in Dr. Mires's mailbox by 6 p.m. Deadline will be extended for anyone who chooses to attend the National Council on Public History meeting in Lowell, Mass., April 29-May 2.