| The Age of Homespun: Objects and Stories in the Creation of an American Myth Contributor(s): Ulrich, Laurel Thatcher (Author) |
|
 |
ISBN: 0679766448 ISBN-13: 9780679766445 Publisher: Vintage OUR PRICE: $16.20 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: November 2002 Annotation: They began their existence as everyday objects, but in the hands of Bancroft Award-winning historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, fourteen domestic items from preindustrial America-ranging from a linen tablecloth to an unfinished sock-relinquish their stories and offer profound insights into our history. In an age when even meals are rarely made from scratch, homespun easily acquires the glow of nostalgia. The objects Ulrich investigates unravel those simplified illusions, revealing important clues to the culture and people who made them. Ulrich uses an Indian basket to explore the uneasy coexistence of native and colonial Americans. A piece of silk embroidery reveals racial and class distinctions, and two old spinning wheels illuminate the connections between colonial cloth-making and war. Pulling these divergent threads together, Ulrich demonstrates how early Americans made, used, sold, and saved textiles in order to assert their identities, shape relationships, and create history. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | United States - 19th Century - History | United States - State & Local - General - Business & Economics | Industries - Fashion & Textile Industry |
| Dewey: 974.03 |
| LCCN: 2001029862 |
| Physical Information: 1.07" H x 5.32" W x 7.92" (1.01 lbs) 512 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 19th Century - Cultural Region - New England |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: They began their existence as everyday objects, but in the hands of award-winning historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, fourteen domestic items from preindustrial America-ranging from a linen tablecloth to an unfinished sock-relinquish their stories and offer profound insights into our history. In an age when even meals are rarely made from scratch, homespun easily acquires the glow of nostalgia. The objects Ulrich investigates unravel those simplified illusions, revealing important clues to the culture and people who made them. Ulrich uses an Indian basket to explore the uneasy coexistence of native and colonial Americans. A piece of silk embroidery reveals racial and class distinctions, and two old spinning wheels illuminate the connections between colonial cloth-making and war. Pulling these divergent threads together, Ulrich demonstrates how early Americans made, used, sold, and saved textiles in order to assert their identities, shape relationships, and create history. |