What is and is not considered Americana is heavily influenced by national identity, historical context, patriotism and nostalgia. The ethos or guiding beliefs or ideals which have come to characterize America, such as The American Dream, are central to the idea. Americana encompasses not only material objects but also people, places, concepts and historical eras which are popularly identified with American culture.
From the mid to late 20th century, Americana was largely conceptualized as a nostalgia for an idealized life in small towns and cities in the United States around the turn of the century, roughly in the period between 1880 and the First World War.[5] It was believed that much of the structure of 20th-century American life and culture had been cemented in that time and place. American author Henry Seidel Canby wrote:
It is the small town, the small city, that is our heritage. We have made twentieth-century America from it, and some account of these communities as they were ... we owe our children and grandchildren.[6]
Many kinds of cultural artifacts fall within the definition of Americana: the things involved need not be old, but are usually associated with some quintessential element of the American experience. Each period of United States history is reflected by the advertising and marketing of the time, and the various types of antiques, collectibles, memorabilia and vintage items from these time periods are typical of what is popularly considered Americana. The Atlantic described the term as "slang for the comforting, middle-class ephemera at your average antique store—things like needle-pointed pillows, Civil Wardaguerreotypes, and engraved silverware sets".[7]
The nostalgia for this period was based on a remembrance of confidence in American life that had emerged during the period due to such factors as a sense that the frontier had finally been "conquered", with the U.S. Census Bureau's declaration that it was "closed" in 1890, as well as the recent victory in the Spanish–American War.[5] By 1912, the contiguous United States was at last fully politically incorporated, and the idea of the nation as a single, solid unity could begin to take hold.
As Canby put it,
Americans at this time "really believed all they heard on the Fourth of July or read in school readers. They set on one plane of time, and that the present, the Declaration of Independence, the manifest destiny of America, the new plumbing, the growth of the factory system, the morning paper, and the church sociable. It was all there at once, better than elsewhere, their own, and permanent. ... They had just the country they wanted...and they believed it would be the same, except for more bathtubs and faster trains, forever ... for the last time in living memory everyone knew exactly what it meant to be an American."[6]
It’s no accident that my first novel was called Americana. This was a private declaration of independence, a statement of my intention to use the whole picture, the whole culture. America was and is the immigrant's dream, and as the son of two immigrants I was attracted by the sense of possibility that had drawn my grandparents and parents.
^Shriver, Jerry (31 August 2009). "Grammys will be putting Americana on the map". USA Today.
^(PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 January 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
^ abcSears, Stephen (1975). Hometown U.S.A. New York: American Heritage. pp. 6–9. ISBN0-671-22079-9.
^ abCanby, Henry Seidel (1934). The Age of Confidence: Life in the Nineties. New York: Farrar & Rinehart. ASIN B000857UVO.
^Giovanni Russonello (August 2013). "Why Is a Music Genre Called 'Americana' So Overwhelmingly White and Male?". The Atlantic.
^DeLillo, Don (January 13, 2005). Conversations with Don DeLillo. University Press of Mississippi. p. 88. ISBN1578067049.
^. Library.ci.fort-collins.co.us. Archived from the original on 2009-01-25. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
^Sears, Stephen (1975). Hometown U.S.A. New York: American Heritage. pp. 12–13, 29. ISBN0-671-22079-9.
^Sears, Stephen (1975). Hometown U.S.A. New York: American Heritage. pp. 12–13, 20. ISBN0-671-22079-9.
^"Farrell's looks to restart growth Owner outlines expansion plans for iconic ice cream chain". Nation's Restaurant News. August 31, 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
^ ab"What is Americana? (with pictures)". United States Now. 28 August 2023.
^ abcdEvans, Jon (Sep 21, 2021). "Why "Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie And Chevrolet" Has Stood The Test Of Time". Advertising Weekly.
^ abcdefghPerelman, Britton (August 27, 2020). "How to Capture "Americana" in Photography". Passion Passport.
^ abcLineberry, Cate (March 1, 2007). "The Story Behind the Star Spangled Banner". Smithsonian Magazine.
^"Mount Rushmore Sculptor Gutzon Borglum Carved American History". Artistic Fuel. 17 February 2020.
^Sides, Hampton (2007). Americana: Dispatches from the New Frontier. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN978-1400033553.
^Stoutland, Frederick A. (2006). Landscapes of Christianity. FAS Publishing. p. 361. ISBN9780977234103.
^Xiong, Nzong (2008-03-03). . TuscaloosaNews.com. McClatchy-Tribune News Service. Archived from the original on 2015-09-02. Americana aside, people like white picket fences for a couple of practical reasons.
^Warnes, Andrew (2008). Savage barbecue : race, culture, and the invention of America's first food. Athens, Ga.: University of Georgia Press. ISBN9780820328966.
^O'Leary, Joanna. "The Jewish history of Bazooka bubble gum". www.timesofisrael.com.
^ abPage, David (2021). Food Americana : the remarkable people and incredible stories behind America's favorite dishes. Coral Gables, FL. ISBN9781642505863.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^"Behold the burger: Americana on a bun – DGO Magazine".
^McCarthy, Amy (29 June 2022). "How Theme Parks Use Fried Chicken to Sell the American Dream". Eater.
^"Milkshakes: pure Americana and a Hong Kong burger's best friend". South China Morning Post. 20 May 2015.
^ abGraham, David A. (17 May 2016). "Without Jazz and Blues, There's No 'Americana'". The Atlantic.
^ abcde"The Americana Essentials That Will Literally Never Go Out of Style | Complex". Complex Networks.
^Correspondent, DON MELVIN, Atlanta (7 October 1990). "COCA-COLA A SIP OF AMERICANA THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING BETTER WITH COKE SINCE 1886". Sun-Sentinel.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ abDay, Sherri; Elliott, Stuart (10 January 2003). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; Coca-Cola goes back to its 'Real' past in an effort to find some new fizz for its Classic brand. - The New York Times". The New York Times.
Further readingedit
Shaw, Robert (2023). Americana Insights 2023. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN979-8-9885331-0-8.
External linksedit
Look up Americana or americana in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Americana.
Merriam-Webster definition of "Americana"
December 07, 2023
americana, culture, americana, artifacts, related, history, geography, folklore, cultural, heritage, united, states, america, americana, collection, materials, things, concerning, characteristic, united, states, american, people, representative, even, stereoty. Americana artifacts are related to the history geography folklore and cultural heritage of the United States of America Americana is any collection of materials and things concerning or characteristic of the United States or of the American people and is representative or even stereotypical of American culture as a whole 1 2 Apple pie baseball and the United States flag are three well known American cultural icons Liberty Enlightening the World the famous New York landmark illustrated in a print by Currier and IvesWhat is and is not considered Americana is heavily influenced by national identity historical context patriotism and nostalgia The ethos or guiding beliefs or ideals which have come to characterize America such as The American Dream are central to the idea Americana encompasses not only material objects but also people places concepts and historical eras which are popularly identified with American culture The name Americana also refers to Americana music a genre of contemporary music that incorporates elements of various American music styles including country roots rock folk bluegrass and blues resulting in a distinctive roots oriented sound 3 4 Contents 1 As nostalgia 2 Examples 2 1 Cultural symbols 2 2 Food 2 3 Music 2 4 Clothing and fashion 2 5 Brand names 3 Similar concepts 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksAs nostalgia editFrom the mid to late 20th century Americana was largely conceptualized as a nostalgia for an idealized life in small towns and cities in the United States around the turn of the century roughly in the period between 1880 and the First World War 5 It was believed that much of the structure of 20th century American life and culture had been cemented in that time and place American author Henry Seidel Canby wrote It is the small town the small city that is our heritage We have made twentieth century America from it and some account of these communities as they were we owe our children and grandchildren 6 Many kinds of cultural artifacts fall within the definition of Americana the things involved need not be old but are usually associated with some quintessential element of the American experience Each period of United States history is reflected by the advertising and marketing of the time and the various types of antiques collectibles memorabilia and vintage items from these time periods are typical of what is popularly considered Americana The Atlantic described the term as slang for the comforting middle class ephemera at your average antique store things like needle pointed pillows Civil War daguerreotypes and engraved silverware sets 7 The nostalgia for this period was based on a remembrance of confidence in American life that had emerged during the period due to such factors as a sense that the frontier had finally been conquered with the U S Census Bureau s declaration that it was closed in 1890 as well as the recent victory in the Spanish American War 5 By 1912 the contiguous United States was at last fully politically incorporated and the idea of the nation as a single solid unity could begin to take hold As Canby put it Americans at this time really believed all they heard on the Fourth of July or read in school readers They set on one plane of time and that the present the Declaration of Independence the manifest destiny of America the new plumbing the growth of the factory system the morning paper and the church sociable It was all there at once better than elsewhere their own and permanent They had just the country they wanted and they believed it would be the same except for more bathtubs and faster trains forever for the last time in living memory everyone knew exactly what it meant to be an American 6 On growing up Italian American novelist Don DeLillo stated It s no accident that my first novel was called Americana This was a private declaration of independence a statement of my intention to use the whole picture the whole culture America was and is the immigrant s dream and as the son of two immigrants I was attracted by the sense of possibility that had drawn my grandparents and parents Conversations With Don DeLillo 8 The zeitgeist of this idealized period is captured in Disneyland and Magic Kingdom s Main Street U S A section which was inspired by both Walt Disney s hometown of Marceline Missouri and Harper Goff s childhood home of Fort Collins Colorado 9 as well as the musical and movie The Music Man and Thornton Wilder s stage play Our Town 5 Especially revered in nostalgic Americana are small town institutions like the barber shop 10 drug store soda fountain and ice cream parlor 11 some of these were eventually resurrected by mid twentieth century nostalgia for the time period in businesses like the Farrell s Ice Cream Parlour chain with its 1890s theme 12 Examples editCultural symbols edit American football 13 Baseball 14 Blue jeans 15 Clark Kent Cowboy Flag of the United States 15 Fourth of July 16 Mount Rushmore 17 Route 66 18 Small town 15 Statue of Liberty 16 Tent revival 19 Thanksgiving 13 White picket fence 20 15 Wild West 15 Food edit Apple pie 14 Barbecue 21 Bubble gum 22 Brownies Buffalo wings 23 Corn flakes Hamburgers 24 Hot dogs 14 Fried chicken 25 Milkshake 26 Muffins Pizza american style 23 Music edit Blues 27 Country Jazz 27 Rock and roll 15 The Star Spangled Banner 16 Clothing and fashion edit Blue jeans 28 T shirt Cowboy hat Motorcycle jacket 28 Denim jacket 28 Cowboy boots Penny loafer Workwear 28 College prep Western shirtBrand names edit Alden Allen Edmonds Budweiser Chevrolet 14 Coca Cola 29 30 15 Ford Harley Davidson Jack Daniel s Jim Beam Kellogg s Levi s 30 28 15 Marlboro Nike Timberland Zero HalliburtonSimilar concepts editAustraliana for cultural artifacts from Australia Canadiana for cultural artifacts from Canada Communist nostalgia a similar concept in former or currently communist countries Floridiana artifacts relating to the state of Florida Hawaiiana Native Hawaiian cultural artifacts from Hawaii Kiwiana for cultural artifacts from New Zealand Ostalgie a similar concept in East Germany PRL nostalgia a similar concept in Poland Rhodesiana a similar concept in Zimbabwe relating to items made in its colonial Rhodesia era Soviet nostalgia a similar concept in the former Soviet Union Yugo nostalgia a similar concept in the former Yugoslav statesSee also editCulture of the United States Folklore of the United States History of the United States American studies Transcendentalism Romanticism Black AmericanaReferences edit Americana Merriam Webster com Dictionary Americana Dictionary com Unabridged Online n d Shriver Jerry 31 August 2009 Grammys will be putting Americana on the map USA Today 2011 Grammy Category Descriptions PDF Archived from the original PDF on 3 January 2015 Retrieved 18 December 2012 a b c Sears Stephen 1975 Hometown U S A New York American Heritage pp 6 9 ISBN 0 671 22079 9 a b Canby Henry Seidel 1934 The Age of Confidence Life in the Nineties New York Farrar amp Rinehart ASIN B000857UVO Giovanni Russonello August 2013 Why Is a Music Genre Called Americana So Overwhelmingly White and Male The Atlantic DeLillo Don January 13 2005 Conversations with Don DeLillo University Press of Mississippi p 88 ISBN 1578067049 Local History Archive Larimer Legends Old Town amp Disneyland City of Fort Collins Colorado Library ci fort collins co us Archived from the original on 2009 01 25 Retrieved 2013 12 19 Sears Stephen 1975 Hometown U S A New York American Heritage pp 12 13 29 ISBN 0 671 22079 9 Sears Stephen 1975 Hometown U S A New York American Heritage pp 12 13 20 ISBN 0 671 22079 9 Farrell s looks to restart growth Owner outlines expansion plans for iconic ice cream chain Nation s Restaurant News August 31 2010 Retrieved 4 June 2014 a b What is Americana with pictures United States Now 28 August 2023 a b c d Evans Jon Sep 21 2021 Why Baseball Hot Dogs Apple Pie And Chevrolet Has Stood The Test Of Time Advertising Weekly a b c d e f g h Perelman Britton August 27 2020 How to Capture Americana in Photography Passion Passport a b c Lineberry Cate March 1 2007 The Story Behind the Star Spangled Banner Smithsonian Magazine Mount Rushmore Sculptor Gutzon Borglum Carved American History Artistic Fuel 17 February 2020 Sides Hampton 2007 Americana Dispatches from the New Frontier Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group ISBN 978 1400033553 Stoutland Frederick A 2006 Landscapes of Christianity FAS Publishing p 361 ISBN 9780977234103 Xiong Nzong 2008 03 03 White picket fences appease homeowners TuscaloosaNews com McClatchy Tribune News Service Archived from the original on 2015 09 02 Americana aside people like white picket fences for a couple of practical reasons Warnes Andrew 2008 Savage barbecue race culture and the invention of America s first food Athens Ga University of Georgia Press ISBN 9780820328966 O Leary Joanna The Jewish history of Bazooka bubble gum www timesofisrael com a b Page David 2021 Food Americana the remarkable people and incredible stories behind America s favorite dishes Coral Gables FL ISBN 9781642505863 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Behold the burger Americana on a bun DGO Magazine McCarthy Amy 29 June 2022 How Theme Parks Use Fried Chicken to Sell the American Dream Eater Milkshakes pure Americana and a Hong Kong burger s best friend South China Morning Post 20 May 2015 a b Graham David A 17 May 2016 Without Jazz and Blues There s No Americana The Atlantic a b c d e The Americana Essentials That Will Literally Never Go Out of Style Complex Complex Networks Correspondent DON MELVIN Atlanta 7 October 1990 COCA COLA A SIP OF AMERICANA THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING BETTER WITH COKE SINCE 1886 Sun Sentinel com a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link a b Day Sherri Elliott Stuart 10 January 2003 THE MEDIA BUSINESS ADVERTISING Coca Cola goes back to its Real past in an effort to find some new fizz for its Classic brand The New York Times The New York Times Further reading editShaw Robert 2023 Americana Insights 2023 University of Pennsylvania Press ISBN 979 8 9885331 0 8 External links edit nbsp Look up Americana or americana in Wiktionary the free dictionary nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Americana Merriam Webster definition of Americana Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Americana culture amp oldid 1182837777, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
