The 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair was a major event in
early-twentieth-century America. Attracting millions of tourists, it
exemplified the Victorian predilection for public spectacle. The Fair
has long served as a touchstone for historians interested in American
culture prior to World War I and has endured in the memories of
generations of St. Louis residents and visitors. In Whose Fair? James
Gilbert asks: what can we learn about the lived experience of
fairgoers when we compare historical accounts, individual and
collective memories, and artifacts from the event? Exploring these
differing, at times competing, versions of history and memory prompts
Gilbert to dig through a rich trove of archival material. He examines
the papers of David Francis, the Fair’s president and subsequent
chief archivist; guidebooks and other official publications; the 1944
film Meet Me in St. Louis; diaries, oral histories, and other personal
accounts; and a collection of striking photographs. From this dazzling
array of sources, Gilbert paints a lively picture of how fairgoers
spent their time, while also probing the ways history and memory can
complement each other.
Les mer
Experience, Memory, and the History of the Great St. Louis Exposition
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780226293127
Publisert
2018
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
University of Chicago Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter