Analysis Of Out Of The Attic By Briann G. Greenfield

Likewise, many historians consider the importance of studying the Colonial Revival from a material culture lens. Alan Axelrod articulates, â€Å"Objects play a central role in the processes of the Colonial Revival.† Similarly, Briann G. Greenfield’s Out of the Attic: Inventing Antiques in Twentieth-Century New England, suggests an extension of this idea of the centrality of objects. It is, in effect, a celebration of material culture as it relates to a larger historical context. Greenfield effectively describes the evolution of historical and aesthetic use of antiques from the 1900’s onward. Acts of collecting, selling, and displaying the antiques are points of interest in her collection of essays. She notes t antiques as a means to define†¦show more content†¦Chapter three presents Jessie Barker Gardner and George Gardner as twentieth century antique collectors based in Providence New England. The couple were small time, middle-class antique collectors. They were interested in the philanthropic area of collecting. The Gardner’s sought to make a connection between the collegiate space and the museum. Eventually, the Gardner’s donated many of their most prized collectables to Brown University. They implemented very crafty and effective sales techniques. Their goal was to â€Å"subvert the market and capture the antiques at bargain prices.† Though Jessie and George Gardner relished the pursuit of collecting and philanthropy, it was almost always about the profitability. This discussion offers a connection to Thomas Denenberg’s use of Wallace Nutting. Like Nutting, the Gardner’s excelled in a plethora of marketing techniques and entrepreneurship. She further links the importance of consumer culture that Denenberg alludes too. Chapter four is devoted Henry Flynt and his efforts in historic preservation and antiques in Deerfield, Massachusetts. He, too, believed that historic objects reflected American patriotism. He criticized Williamsburg and Deerfield as being â€Å"restored or preserved villages.† Conversely, under his direction, Deerfield, Massachusetts became a â€Å"natural preservation.† This chapter further mentions companies