Souvenir Nation: Relics, Keepsakes, and Curios from the

Souvenir Nation: Relics, Keepsakes, and Curios from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History

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 objectsâ€”from a chunk broken off Plymouth Rock to the magnifying glass used to examine the infamous hanging chads of the 2000 presidential election. Smithsonian curator William L. Bird, Jr., regales us with the story of each artifact's origins and the quirks of fate that brought it to the Smithsonian. Strikingly photographed, these curious objects form a uniquely American narrative: a cabinet of curiosities representing our nation's most fascinating individuals, both celebrated and obscure, and the keepsakes they left behind.

Country	USA
Author	William L. Bird Jr.
Binding	Hardcover
EAN	9781616891350
Edition	1
ISBN	1616891351
Label	Princeton Architectural Press
Manufacturer	Princeton Architectural Press
NumberOfItems	1
NumberOfPages	176
PublicationDate	2013-05-21
Publisher	Princeton Architectural Press
ReleaseDate	2013-05-21
Studio	Princeton Architectural Press

Souvenir Nation: Relics, Keepsakes, and Curios from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History