The Centennial decade was an era of ambivalence; the United States still unresolved about the incomprehensible damage it had wrought over four years of Civil War; and why. Philadelphia’s 1876 Centennial Exhibition -- a spectacular international event celebrating one hundred years of American strength; unity; and freedom -- took place in the immediate wake of this trauma of war and the failures of Reconstruction as a means to restore power and patriotism in the nation’s struggle to rebuild itself. The Unfinished Exhibition; the first comprehensive examination of American art at the Centennial; explains the critical role of visual culture in negotiating memories of the nation’s past that conflicted with the optimism that Exhibition officials promoted. Supporting novel iconographical interpretations with myriad primary source material; author Susanna W. Gold demonstrates how the art galleries and the audiences who visited them addressed the lingering traumas of battle; the uneasy re-unification of North and South; and the persisting racial tensions in the post-Emancipation era. This careful consideration of the visual record exposes the complexities of the war’s impact on Americans and clarifies how the Centennial art exhibition affected a nation still finding its direction at a critical moment in its history.
#541998 in Books 2016-11-07Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.29 x .88 x 6.18l; .0 #File Name: 146962771X332 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. An important read for administrators and facultyBy R. MartinezI agree with Dr. Allen. I found the book to be a critical analysis of the problem and not a sugar coated "how to" in order to make oneself presentable to the academic status quo I found the first person essays to be enlightening with both theoretical and agentive insights.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A good read of individuals' experiencesBy Dr. C PatrickI enjoyed the book... the interviews were interesting... however not a generalizable as I would anticipated. Based on individual stories-- but good information nonetheless.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Read this Book; and Buy Another Copy for Your Provost !By Dr. AllenWritten/Unwritten is not a “how to;†written to faculty of color; but is a demonstrative critical survey. The first-person essays look incisively at the issue from a number of angles. Like all anthologies; some chapters will be more useful to particular readers than others. Still; as I tell my students; one must actually generously engage the entire text before passing judgment. While some important “how to†books give targeted practical advice to faculty of color; they offer no critical analysis of the problem (as this is not the aim of the authors). On the other hand; other works forcefully take on affirmative action foes in an erudite and tightly argued way.I think that Matthew does and excellent job of steering clear of just the sort of expected language and sociological tropes the first commenter cites. (I want to implore a previous commenter; Dr. Linda; to actually read the entire book). Matthew has chosen an array of ‘stories’ with clear salience across the diverse themes; subject positions; ranks; geographies; politics and institutional locations of her speakers/interlocutors in the book. She frames the essays through her historical; critical and personally inflected introduction and up to the minute; forward-looking conclusion. Certainly this book; like all books; is not for everyone; but everyone with a personal and professional stake in this should buy a copy— and even more importantly; buy an additional one for your Provost!
