Showboats
Title | Showboats PDF eBook |
Author | Philip Graham |
Publisher | University of Texas Press |
Pages | 265 |
Release | 2014-01-30 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 0292775555 |
This book is a delightful and authoritative record of America's showboats from the first one, launched in 1831, to the last, ultimately tied up at a St. Louis dock. It is also a record of the men and women who built and loved these floating theaters, of those who performed on their stages, and of the thousands who sat in their auditoriums. And, lastly, it is a record of a genuine folk institution, as American as catfish, which for more than a century did much to relieve the social and cultural starvation of our vast river frontier. For these showboats brought their rich cargoes of entertainment—genuine laughter, a glimpse of other worlds, a respite from the grinding hardship of the present, emotional relaxation—to valley farmers, isolated factory workers and miners, and backwoodsmen who otherwise would have lacked all such opportunities. To the more privileged , the showboats brought pleasant reminder of a half-forgotten culture. They penetrated regions where churches and school had not gone, and where land theaters were for generations to be impossible. Like circuit preachers, they carried their message to the outer fringes of American civilization. In spite of many faults, it was a good message. The frontier had created this institution to fill a genuine need, and it lasted only until other and better means of civilizing these regions could reach them—good roads, automobiles, motion pictures, schools, churches, newspapers, and theaters. But although the showboats have passed into history, they have left a rich legacy. As long as the Mississippi flows into the Gulf, their story will fire the imagination of Americans. Showboating has become so legendary that few Americans know what this unique institution was really like. In Showboats, at long last, the true story emerges. It differs in many important respects from the motion picture and fictional versions to which Americans are accustomed, but it is not a whit the less glamorous. Philip Graham has told his story with imagination, genuine insight, and complete devotion to facts. No one who is interested in America's past should fail to read it.
SHOW BOAT
Title | SHOW BOAT PDF eBook |
Author | EDNA FERBER |
Publisher | |
Pages | 410 |
Release | 1926 |
Genre | |
ISBN |
The Magnificent Showboats of the Lower Vissel River, Lune XXIII South, Big Planet
Title | The Magnificent Showboats of the Lower Vissel River, Lune XXIII South, Big Planet PDF eBook |
Author | Jack Vance |
Publisher | Spatterlight Press |
Pages | 216 |
Release | |
Genre | |
ISBN | 1619470055 |
Vaudeville old & new
Title | Vaudeville old & new PDF eBook |
Author | Frank Cullen |
Publisher | Psychology Press |
Pages | 1362 |
Release | 2007 |
Genre | Entertainers |
ISBN | 0415938538 |
A History of Showboats on the Western Rivers
Title | A History of Showboats on the Western Rivers PDF eBook |
Author | Duane Eldon Reed |
Publisher | |
Pages | 146 |
Release | 1978 |
Genre | River boats |
ISBN |
The Guide to United States Popular Culture
Title | The Guide to United States Popular Culture PDF eBook |
Author | Ray Broadus Browne |
Publisher | Popular Press |
Pages | 1030 |
Release | 2001 |
Genre | Social Science |
ISBN | 9780879728212 |
"To understand the history and spirit of America, one must know its wars, its laws, and its presidents. To really understand it, however, one must also know its cheeseburgers, its love songs, and its lawn ornaments. The long-awaited Guide to the United States Popular Culture provides a single-volume guide to the landscape of everyday life in the United States. Scholars, students, and researchers will find in it a valuable tool with which to fill in the gaps left by traditional history. All American readers will find in it, one entry at a time, the story of their lives."--Robert Thompson, President, Popular Culture Association. "At long last popular culture may indeed be given its due within the humanities with the publication of The Guide to United States Popular Culture. With its nearly 1600 entries, it promises to be the most comprehensive single-volume source of information about popular culture. The range of subjects and diversity of opinions represented will make this an almost indispensable resource for humanities and popular culture scholars and enthusiasts alike."--Timothy E. Scheurer, President, American Culture Association "The popular culture of the United States is as free-wheeling and complex as the society it animates. To understand it, one needs assistance. Now that explanatory road map is provided in this Guide which charts the movements and people involved and provides a light at the end of the rainbow of dreams and expectations."--Marshall W. Fishwick, Past President, Popular Culture Association Features of The Guide to United States Popular Culture: 1,010 pages 1,600 entries 500 contributors Alphabetic entries Entries range from general topics (golf, film) to specific individuals, items, and events Articles are supplemented by bibliographies and cross references Comprehensive index
Showboats to Soft Shoes
Title | Showboats to Soft Shoes PDF eBook |
Author | Katherine Hines Mahan |
Publisher | |
Pages | 230 |
Release | 1968 |
Genre | Music |
ISBN |