Heirlooms of tomorrow: crafting and consuming colonial reproduction furniture, 1890-1945
| Author(s) | Lome, Erica | |
| Date Accessioned | 2022-10-11T12:24:05Z | |
| Date Available | 2022-10-11T12:24:05Z | |
| Publication Date | 2020 | |
| SWORD Update | 2022-08-11T19:10:39Z | |
| Abstract | A visitor to a typical American home in the early twentieth century likely walked into rooms filled with reproductions of furniture made and used during the nation’s Colonial and Early National periods (c.1620-1830). Aptly nicknamed “Heirlooms of Tomorrow” for their perceived timelessness and durability, between 1890 and 1945 reproductions became a staple of the middle-class interior, owned and appreciated by Americans with means and Colonial ancestry and by those with modest budgets and no family pedigree. But despite their ubiquity, little attempt has been made to understand reproductions as unique forms with their own stylistic conventions and complexities, nor have scholars fully considered reproductions as important artifacts of the Colonial Revival, a cultural movement catalyzed by the nativism and xenophobia of its White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) demographic. This dissertation shows how furniture in the “colonial” style became the mainstream material expression of white American identity during this period, but it also exposes the important roles ethnic and racial minorities played in the reproduction trade as makers and consumers. Studying these objects elucidates some of the complex - and deeply personal - narratives of their creators, promoters and consumers and adds to our understanding of race, labor, and class in early twentieth century America. | en_US |
| Advisor | Grier, Katherine C. | |
| Degree | Ph.D. | |
| Department | University of Delaware, Department of History | |
| Extent | "Figures removed due to copyright"--Page 288. | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.58088/8q74-ss91 | |
| Unique Identifier | 1347211144 | |
| URL | https://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/31458 | |
| Language | en | |
| Publisher | University of Delaware | en_US |
| URI | https://login.udel.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/heirlooms-tomorrow-crafting-consuming-colonial/docview/2702140278/se-2?accountid=10457 | |
| Keywords | Colonial revival | |
| Keywords | Consumer culture | |
| Keywords | Craftsmanship | |
| Keywords | Furniture | |
| Keywords | Jewish studies | |
| Keywords | Material culture | |
| Title | Heirlooms of tomorrow: crafting and consuming colonial reproduction furniture, 1890-1945 | en_US |
| Type | Thesis | en_US |