The 1876 United States Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia was not only the United States first important worlds fair; it signaled significant changes in the very shape of knowledge. Quarrels between participants in the exhibition represented a greater conflict as the world transitioned between two different kinds of modernity―the Enlightenment of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to the High Modern period of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. At the center of this movement was a shift in the perceived relationship between seeing and knowing and in the perception of what makes an object valuable―its usefulness as a subject of study and learning versus its ability to be bought and sold on the market. Arguments over design of the Centennial reflected these opposing viewpoints. Initial plans were rigidly structured; dividing the exhibits by country and type. But as some exhibitors became more interested in the preferences of their audience; they adopted a more modern stance. Objects traditionally displayed in isolated glass boxes were placed in fictive context―the necklace draped over a mannequin; the vase set on a table in a model room. As a result; the audience could more easily perceive these items as commodities suitable for their own environments and the fair as a place to find ideas for a material lifestyle. Designing the Centennial is a vital first look at the design process and the nature of the display. Bruno Giberti uses official reports of the U.S. Centennial Commission and photographs of the Centennial Photographic Company; as well as the ephemera of the exhibition and literary accounts in books; magazines; and newspapers to illuminate how the 1876 fair revealed changes to come: in future worlds fairs; museums; department stores; and in the nature of display itself.
#2316041 in eBooks 2010-05-08 2010-05-11File Name: B003L77WUK
Review
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful. How to Succeed in Show BizBy enubriusReading Cy Feuers memoir is like sitting at the feet of a beloved uncle as he recounts fabulous tales of a fabulous time on Broadway; the time when the Broadway Musical was a capital-letters phrase. And. make no mistake. Cy Feuer and partner Ernest Martin were THE musical producers of that era! Guys Dolls. How to Succeed...; Can-Can. The Boyfriend! To anyone "of a certain age". these were the musicals of their lives. Sure. there are some factual errors (he confuses Victor Young with Vincent Youmans. for example). but I blame that on co-author Ken Gross. I dont know that its his fault. mind. I just want to blame him and just revel in Cy Feuer! If you love musicals. Broadway. Hollywood. gossip. and/or great story-telling. you will. too!5 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Standing on the Corner. Trading StoriesBy disheveledprofessorThe first show I saw in NYC. as an impressionable young teenager. was Feuer Martins production of "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying". Those rosy memories. combined with the positive reviews of the book. made reading it irresistable.It is a light. enjoyable read. The reviewer who wrote "is like sitting at the feet of a beloved uncle as he recounts fabulous tales" was absolutely right -- thats just how I felt. [And it must have been the style Feuer was trying for. with his repeated use of "kinda" "sorta" "hadda"]. But while that is fun. it was also frustrating: the stories were told because they were humorous. not because they provided any insight. Dont we read biographies to learn more about what makes a specific individual "tick". and by transferance. more about what makes all of us "tick"? There was no learning here. little insight. Just stories.Feuer insisted frequently that he was not an artist. merely a ditchdigger. albeit a good one. But he didnt do enough digging here. Read it for fun. but dont expect to know the man.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. great theater historyBy Mike D.Fascinating glimpse into the creation of some classic Broadway musicals. The author offers a candid and honest assessment of his career in the musical theater.
