Buffalo Bill in Bologna by Robert W Rydell
When it comes to the production and distribution of mass culture, no country in modern times has come close to rivaling the success of America. From blue jeans in central Europe to Elvis Presley's face on a Republic of Chad postage stamp, the reach of American mass culture extends into every corner of the globe. Most believe this is a twentieth-century phenomenon, but here Robert W. Rydell and Rob Kroes prove that its roots are far deeper. Buffalo Bill in Bologna reveals that the process of globalizing American mass culture began as early as the mid-nineteenth century. In fact, by the end of World War I, the United States already boasted an advanced network of culture industries that served to promote American values overseas. Rydell and Kroes narrate how the circuses, amusement parks, vaudeville, mail-order catalogs, dime novels, and movies developed after the Civil War - tools central to hastening the reconstruction of the country - actually doubled as agents of American cultural diplomacy abroad. As symbols of America's version of the "good life," cultural products became a primary means for people around the world, especially in Europe, to reimagine both America and themselves in the context of America's growing global sphere of influence. Paying special attention to the role of the world's fairs, the exporting of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show to Europe, the release of The Birth of a Nation, and Woodrow Wilson's creation of the Committee on Public Information, Rydell and Kroes offer an absorbing tour through America's cultural expansion at the turn of the century.
"The results of a unique collaboration between American and European authors, Buffalo Bill in Bologna is a graceful re-examination of the origins of America's cultural domination at home and abroadRobert Rydell and Rob Kroes refashion conventional wisdom by showing that mass culture served as an instrument for promoting American values well before World War I. While this topic has been amply covered for the twentieth century, it is virtually untouched for the nineteenth. Thus breaking new ground, Buffalo Bill in Bologna will be appreciated by readers on both sides of the Atlantic." - Mick Gidley, University of Leeds"
Robert W. Rydell is professor of history at Montana State University. He is the author of six books, including All the World's a Fair and World of Fairs, both published by the University of Chicago Press. Rob Kroes is professor of American studies at the University of Amsterdam. He is the author of eleven books, including, most recently, If You've Seen One, You've Seen the Mall and Us and Them: Questions of Citizenship in a Globalized World.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780226732428 |
| ISBN 10 | 0226732428 |
| Title | Buffalo Bill in Bologna |
| Author | Robert W Rydell |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | The University of Chicago Press |
| Year published | 2005-08-08 |
| Number of pages | 232 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |