Entertainment nation : how music, television, film, sports, and theater shaped the United States

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Title:

Entertainment nation : how music, television, film, sports, and theater shaped the United States

Corporate Author:

National Museum of American History (U.S.) author.

ISBN:

9781588347244

Physical Description:

271 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 29 cm

General Note:

Catalog of an ever-changing selection from its collection of theater, music, sports, movie and television objects held by the National Museum of American History under the banner of "Entertaiment Nation" exhibited since December 2022.

Contents:

Harmony and discord -- Broadening and narrowing the signal -- Comedy and tragedy -- Gaining and losing ground -- Heroes and villians.

Corporate Subject:

National Museum of American History (U.S.) -- Catalogs.

Subject Term:

Americana -- Catalogs.

Arts and society -- United States -- Catalogs.

Genre:

Exhibition catalogs.

Added Author:

Cohen, Kenneth,

Troutman, John William,

Summary:

"U.S. history gets the star treatment with this essential guide to the Smithsonian's first permanent exhibition on pop culture"--

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)	306.0973 NAT	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove)	306.0973 NAT	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	306.0973 NAT	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Valley Library (Lakeland)	306.0973 NAT	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

US history gets the star treatment with this essential guide to the Smithsonian's first permanent exhibition on pop culture, featuring objects like Muhammad Ali's training robe, and Leonard Nimoy's Spock ears, and Dorothy's ruby slippers, oh my!

Entertainment Nation is a star-studded and richly illustrated book celebrating the best of 150 years of US pop culture. The book presents nearly 300 breathtaking Smithsonian objects from the first long-term exhibition on popular culture, and features contributors like Billie Jean King, Ali Wong, and Jill Lepore. Entertainment Nation offers the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, the passion and grit of star athletes, the limelight of the music industry and theater, and the amazing entertainers we love to watch, with dazzling cultural touchstones like-

Music and Theater
Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton costumeJohn Coltrane's saxophoneSelena's leather outfit
Film and Television
Captain America's shieldMr. Roger's sweater Seinfeld 's puffy shirt
Sports
Mia Hamm's Olympic jerseyKristi Yamaguchi's ice skatesBabe Ruth autographed baseball
The book includes essays that contextualize the objects' place in time and history, exploring how entertainment sparks conversation and debate, reveals social tensions and political power, and dictates who gets to be the hero or the villain. Taking a nostalgic look at old favorites and an exhilarating glimpse of contemporary attractions, Entertainment Nation is a love letter to pop culture.

Author Notes

KENNETH COHEN is Edward and Helen Hintz Secretarial Scholar and Curator at NMAH. His work on the intersection of politics, theater, and sport has appeared in academic and popular outlets such as NPR, Slate , and The Washington Post . JOHN W. TROUTMAN is curator of American music at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and project director for the Entertainment Nation exhibit.

Reviews (1)

Booklist Review

This lively and interesting book turns a spotlight on nearly 300 key artifacts (a fraction of the more than a million objects in the Smithsonian's collection) and sets them in social and historical context through a series of essays. Pop culture encompasses music, sports, television, theater, and film, and these objects speak eloquently, as Cohen and Troutman write, about "the past, present and future of the country." The book is organized around five themes: "harmony and discord," "signal and noise," "comedy and tragedy," "gaining and losing ground," and "heroes and villains." Within each section, items from each of the five categories are highlighted in an intriguing mix of high and low culture. For example, "harmony and discord" includes the star-spangled banner flown over Fort McHenry in 1814, a costume for Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof, Joe Louis' gloves from his first fight against Max Schmeling, and timbales played by Tito Puente. With this book in hand, those unable to visit the Smithsonian in person can enjoy these national treasures.

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Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (1)

Booklist Review

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