Material Culture in America

The first encyclopedia to look at the study of material culture (objects images spaces technology production and consumption) and what it reveals about historical and contemporary life in the United States.Reaching back 400 years Material Life in America: An Encyclopedia is the first reference showing what the study of material culture reveals about American societyrevelations not accessible through traditional sources and methods nearly 200 entries the encyclopedia traces the history of artifacts concepts and ideas industries peoples and cultures cultural productions historical forces periods and styles religious and secular rituals and traditions and much more. Everyone from researchers and curators to students and general readers will find example after example of how the objects and environments created or altered by humans reveal as much about American life as diaries documents and texts.