Private History in Public

Tammy S. Gordon is assistant professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

• ForewordIntroduction: Historical Display, Commerce, and CommunityToward a New Typology of Historical Exhibition in the United StatesCommunity Exhibition: History, Identity, and DialogueEntrepreneurial Exhibition: Historical Display and the Small Business TraditionVernacular Exhibition and the Business of HistoryLocal History, Global Economy: The Functions of History Exhibits in the Settings of Daily Life

Tammy Gordon is an engaging guide through a world of historical exhibitions that remains mostly unrecognized by professional public historians. Whether considering displays in bars or barbershops, tributes to firefighters or 'Freakatoriums,' Gordon has a wry but generous touch as she analyzes the sites on their own terms and considers their implications for more traditional museums. Since Americans are just as likely to seek out exhibitions by the roadside as in a museum, it's time we understand what sort of history they are getting and how it sustains them. Gordon's book is a thought-provoking introduction to how the past gets constructed outside the gallery walls.