The American Circus

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Edited by Susan Weber, Kenneth Ames, and Matthew Wittmann

View Inside Format: HC - Paper over Board
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A showcase of the "golden age" of the circus in America

The circus is a source of nostalgia for Americans of all ages, either from memories of attending P. T. Barnum's "Greatest Show on Earth," or through the colorful evocations in many movies, television programs, and books. Interest in the circus phenomenon is unflagging, yet there have been few publications that look closely at how the circus's European origins were refashioned for an American audience. Lavishly illustrated and carefully researched, this volume explores how American culture, values, demography, and business practices altered the fundamental nature of the European circus, and how, by the end of the 19th century, they had transformed it into a distinctly American pastime.

At the peak of its cultural significance, the circus was a sophisticated combination of theater and business, and made effective use of advertising, train travel, and hyperbole. The subjects in The American Circus reflect this complexity, ranging widely from thematic explorations of circus music and elephants to more closely focused studies of objects such as circus toys, souvenirs, and performers' costumes. The book also explores the dark and even nefarious side of the circus, and its associations with marginalized dimensions of American life and culture. With contributions from leading scholars, this stylishly designed volume aims to identify the salient features of an Americanized cultural product and to analyze its appeal for American audiences.



Published for the Bard Graduate Center, NY


Exhibition Schedule:

Bard Graduate Center, NY(09/21/12–02/03/13)

Susan Weber is director and founder, Kenneth Ames is professor of American decorative arts, and Matthew Wittmann is curatorial fellow, all at the Bard Graduate Center.

EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

Bard Graduate Center, NY(09/21/12–02/03/13)

With contributions by Rachel Adams, Brenda Assael, Leon Botstein, Ellen Butler Donovan, Fred Dahlinger, Jr., Janet M. Davis, Rodney Huey, Jennifer Lemmer Posey, Eugene W. Metcalf, Brett Mizelle, Susan Nance, Gregory J. Renoff, Kory W. Rogers, Paul Stirton, Peta Tait, Susan Weber, and Matthew Wittmann

"Aided by rich visual ephemera, it’s fascinating stuff, whether on the role of music, ingenious tents, the cultural baggage of clowns, Victorian poster wars or the treatment of ‘freaks’ and animals. Do roll up."—Damian Thompson. World of Interiors

“Beautifully illustrated, informative, and engaging.” — Glenn C. Altschuler, Philadelphia Inquirer
Selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2013 in the Theater & Dance Category.
ISBN: 9780300185393
Publication Date: October 16, 2012
Publishing Partner: Published for the Bard Graduate Center, NY
472 pages, 8 5/8 x 10 3/4
327 color illus.
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