Bazaars and Fair Ladies: The History of the American Fundraising FairUniv. of Tennessee Press, 1998 - 285 pages Although women's charitable bazaars have contributed millions of dollars to important causes and institutions, they have long been thought of--by both historians and the public--as trivial events. Beverly Gordon corrects this view in Bazaars and Fair Ladies, the first history of women's fundraising fairs in the United States. Tracing their development from the early 1800s to the present day, Gordon show how women's fairs have reflected and influenced American culture, including styles of display and presentation, forms of public entertainment, attitudes about consumption and commodities, and perceptions of other cultures and of the past. Gordon surveys the fundraising fair phenomenon through its various names and incarnations, including ladies' sales, ladies' fairs, fancy fairs, fetes, festivals, carnivals, boutiques, and church or charity bazaars, and the many causes these events have benefitted, such as abolition, suffrage, and war relief. Drawing on a wide variety of historical documents--newspaper and magazine accounts, souvenir programs, photos, scrapbooks--as well as on fictional representations, interviews with fairgivers, and participant observation, Gordon provides detailed descriptions of fairs characteristic of specific periods, recreating what it felt like to walk into a Civil War sanitary fair or into Boston's "Atlantic City Boardwalk" fair of 1922. Throughout, she analyzes the ways in which the fundraising fair functioned as a vehicle for aesthetic and social meaning, creating rich environments that celebrated communal bonds. Gordon stresses the role women's bazaars played within the larger fair culture, demonstrating that many of the trends evident in American agricultural and trade fairs and international exhibitions had their origins in women's fundraisers. Highlighting changes in fair themes, aesthetic environments, consumer fashions, and critical responses from the public, Gordon also looks at similarities and differences among participants from varied ethnic and geographic communities. Gracefully written and abundantly illustrated, Gordon's study of this vital American cultural institution sheds light on 175 years of women's creativity, fellowship, and community-building. The Author: Beverly Gordon is a professor in the Environment, Textiles, and Design Department and serves the folklore and women's studies programs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the author of several books, including Shaker Textile Arts and American Indian Art: The Collecting Experience. |
Contents
Unidentified Bazaar in Vicinity of Watertown Wisconsin 1890s | 18 |
Sanitary Fair Polka Sheet Music Cover 1864 | 20 |
Brittany Theme Fair Lemonade Vendors 1914 | 25 |
Lady Winter at Her Booth 1916 | 26 |
Suggestions for Fair Booths from The Delineator 1895 | 27 |
Toy Booth with Hoop Design 1907 | 28 |
May and Seeing 1893 | 29 |
LampDecorated Candy Booth 1917 | 30 |
The Evolution Efficacy and Legacy of the Sanitary Fairs | 90 |
Women at the Knickerbocker Kitchen Metropolitan Fair 1864 | 114 |
Anything to Attract | 116 |
The Juvenilization of the Fair and the Role of the Socialite | 128 |
49 | 130 |
Satire Puns and Doll Fairs | 134 |
Classical Booth 1904 | 136 |
Milwaukee Beauties 1896 | 139 |
Menu from Confederate Memorial Bazaar 1893 | 31 |
Oriental Water Lemonade Carrier 1919 | 32 |
Handbill Fair for Colored Ladies 1847 | 41 |
Crowding at Fairs 1861 | 45 |
Cartoon of Wheedling Women at Fairs 1864 | 53 |
Antislavery Pothholder before 1860 | 56 |
viii | 58 |
Mary Livermore 1860s | 62 |
Cover Page Spirit of the Fair 1864 | 63 |
Lake County Delegation Northwest Fair 1863 | 64 |
Northwest Fair Dining Hall 1863 | 65 |
Costumed Characters and Theatrical Presentation | 72 |
The Rarified Atmosphere of the Sanitary Fair Art Gallery | 81 |
Long Island Fair 1864 | 85 |
Common terms and phrases
activities aesthetic American amusement appeared associated attractions Bazaar became become Book booths Boston building called cause central century charity Chicago Church Club Commission contributed costume culture decorations discussed display doll domestic donated dressed early effect England environments example exhibit experience fact fairgivers fancy feeling Festival fundraising fair funds gallery girls given groups Hall held helped Historical Home Hospital idea important included indicated individuals institution involved Journal kind Kitchen Ladies look Madison meaning newspaper Northampton noted objects organizations participation period play popular presented Press profit raised referred reported represented sanitary fairs seemed seen sense served similar social Society soldiers sometimes sponsored story suggested tables theme tion took turn types typically values Wisconsin women World York young
Popular passages
Page 269 - Goodrich (Frank B.) The Tribute Book. A Record of the Munificence, SelfSacrifice, and Patriotism of the American People during the War for the Union.