HIST 422 - Seeing and Obscuring: Documenting America in the Modern Era, 1877-1945

(3.00)

For some Americans, the broad transformations that led to the emergence of modern America inspired great optimism and encouraged innovation. For others, changes in American habits and values inspired fear and nostalgia. Interestingly, both reactions can be found underneath a broad cultural trend prevalent during this period: the impulse to define, document, and interpret an authentic American culture. This seminar style American history class will examine this trend, training students to think about the ways in which four specific forms of cultural production –photography, preservation, tourism/spectacle, and documentary film –shaped Americans’ collective identity and continue to impact our sense of who we are as a nation. Recommended Course Preparation: HIST 102 OR HIST 319 OR AMST 100.

Course ID: 101991
Consent: No Special Consent Required
Components: Lecture