National Museum of African American History and Culture

National Museum of African American History and Culture
Author: Nat'l Museum African American Hist/Cult
Publisher: Smithsonian Institution
Total Pages: 66
Release: 2016-09-27
Genre: History
ISBN: 158834570X

This souvenir book showcases some of the most influential and important treasures of the National Museum of African American History and Culture's collections. These include a hymn book owned by Harriet Tubman; ankle shackles used to restrain enslaved people on ships during the Middle Passage; a dress that Rosa Parks was making shortly before she was arrested; a vintage, open-cockpit Tuskegee Airmen trainer plane; Muhammad Ali's headgear; an 1835 Bill of Sale enslaving a young girl named Polly; and Chuck Berry's Cadillac. These objects tell us the full story of African American history, of triumphs and tragedies and highs and lows. This book, like the museum it represents, uses artifacts of African American history and culture as a lens into what it means to be an American.

Souvenir Nation

Souvenir Nation
Author: William L. Bird, Jr.
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2013-10-22
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 1616892757

Buried within the collection of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History exists an astonishing group of historical relics from the pre-Revolutionary War era to the present day, many of which have never been on display. Donated to the museum by generations of souvenir collectors, these ordinary objects of extraordinary circumstance all have amazing tales to tell about their roles in American history. Souvenir Nation presents fifty of the museum's most eccentric items. Objects include a chunk broken off Plymouth Rock; a lock of Andrew Jackson's hair; a dish towel used as the flag of truce to end the Civil War; the microphones used by FDR for his Fireside Chats; and the chairs that seated Nixon and Kennedy in their 1960 television debate.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace
Author: Jonathan Marsden
Publisher: Scala Arts Publishers Incorporated
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2012
Genre: Dwellings
ISBN: 9781857597578

These new, fully revised official souvenir guides, published in partnership with the Royal Collection to mark the Diamond Jubilee, include titles on the magnificent palaces and residences, on the finest working stables in existence, on the largest dolls house in the world and on the enthralling history of the royal line of succession. Written by specialist authors including the curators of the Royal Collection, beautifully illustrated and containing details of the works of art, the architecture, stories of occupants, photographs and plans, each book gives a fascinating insight into these famous sites, their history and contents. Buckingham Palace is one of the most readily recognised buildings in the world and one of the few remaining working royal palaces. This official guide to Buckingham Palace provides an illustrated account of the history of the royal palace that serves as Her Majesty The Queen's office and London residence, as well as the administrative headquarters of the Royal Household. It contains an introduction to the Palace today; a history of the building and architecture of the Palace; fascinating stories about the Palace's occupants, from George III to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; a visitor's map of the State Rooms and an illustrated tour of the State Rooms and their contents. AUTHOR: Jonathan Marsden is the Director of the Royal Collection. SELLING POINTS: *The official guidebook to Buckingham Palace *Illustrated with over 110 colour images including beautiful photographs of the State Rooms, plus historic documents and drawings and many works of art *Features highlights from the Picture Gallery's world-class collection of paintings 109 colour & 11 b/w illustrations

Souvenir

Souvenir
Author: Rolf Potts
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 145
Release: 2018-03-08
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1501329421

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things. For as long as people have traveled to distant lands, they have brought home objects to certify the journey. More than mere merchandise, these travel souvenirs take on a personal and cultural meaning that goes beyond the object itself. Drawing on several millennia of examples-from the relic-driven quests of early Christians, to the mass-produced tchotchkes that line the shelves of a Disney gift shop-travel writer Rolf Potts delves into a complicated history that explores issues of authenticity, cultural obligation, market forces, human suffering, and self-presentation. Souvenirs are shown for what they really are: not just objects, but personalized forms of folk storytelling that enable people to make sense of the world and their place in it.' Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic. Souvenir features illustrations by Cedar Van Tassel

American Spoons

American Spoons
Author: Dorothy T. Rainwater
Publisher: Schiffer Pub Limited
Total Pages: 368
Release: 1990
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 9780887402661

First published in 1968, this classic work remains the basic reference book for collectors and fanciers of American spoons. Now offered in a new edition, it will be a welcome resource in your library. Spoons themselves originated in prehistoric times, when shells performed their function for the inhabitants of southern Europe, but spoons as commemorative items began with the Niagra Falls Suspension Bridge Spoon patented by Myron H. Kinsley in 1881. Soon their popularity spread as ideal mementos for practically every conceivable event, personage, or natural wonder. Ranging from expensive sterling silver sets to fifteen cent mailorder spoons, the variety of design, quality and interests reflected in this richly illustrated book is truly impressive.

Begin with the Past

Begin with the Past
Author: Mabel O. Wilson
Publisher: Smithsonian Institution
Total Pages: 145
Release: 2016-09-27
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1588345696

Rising on the National Mall next to the Washington Monument, the National Museum of African American History and Culture is a tiered bronze beacon inviting everyone to learn about the richness and diversity of the African American experience and how it helped shape this nation. Begin with the Past: Building the National Museum of African American History and Culture is the story of how this unparalleled museum found its place in the nation’s collective memory and on its public commons. Begin with the Past presents the long history of efforts to build a permanent place to collect, study, and present African American history and culture. In 2003 the museum was officially established at long last, yet the work of the museum was only just beginning. The book traces the appointment of the director, the selection of the site, and the process of conceiving, designing, and constructing a public monument to the achievements and contributions of African Americans. The careful selection of architects, designers, and engineers culminated in a museum that embodies African American sensibilities about space, form, and material and incorporates rich cultural symbols into the design of the building and its surrounding landscape. The National Museum of African American History and Culture is a place for all Americans to understand our past and embrace our future, and this book is a testament to the inspiration and determination that went into creating this unique place.