Background
Marling, Karal Ann was born on November 5, 1943 in Rochester, New York, United States. Daughter of Raymond J. and Marjorie (Karal) Marling.
(In the split second that it took Associated Press photogr...)
In the split second that it took Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal to snap the shutter of his Speed Graphic, a powerful and enduring American symbol was born. "Iwo Jima: Monuments, Memories and the American Hero" tells the story of that icon as it appeared over the next 40 years in bond drive posters, stamps, Hollywood movies, political cartoons, and sculpture, most notably the colossal Marine Corps War Memorial outside Washington, D.C. The book is also a study of the soldiers who fought one of the bloodiest battles and of the impact of Iwo Jima on the rest of their lives. When the famous photograph first appeared in newspapers in 1945, it was little more than a grainy outline of massed men and their wafting flag, but for millions it captured the essence of American grit and determination. The Marines pictured were in fact in no immediate danger - they were replacing a small flag planted earlier atop Mt. Suribachi with a larger, more visible one - but to an enthusiastic public they were heroes risking their lives for Old Glory. The Battle of Iwo Jima raged for many days beyond the capture of this one position, and ultimately claimed the lives of almost 7000 American servicemen, yet already the tableau symbolized victory. Marling and Wetenhall illuminate the ironies and misconceptions that proliferated around the Iwo Jima flag-raisings. Pride and nostalgia exalted the glorious epiphany of Rosenthal's image and suppressed the grisly and at times mundane reality of war. The ordinary men whose action has been immortalized became uneasy celebrities, while the planters of the first flag were doomed to oblivion. The authors have constructed a story from the reminiscences of survivors, rare archival sources, and dozens of documentary photographs They give the first comprehensive account of the building of the Marine Corps War Memorial, dedicated in 1954. And in a final chapter they follow a group of American veterans who returned to the island in 1985 and met Japanese survivors. Dedicated to the men who fought on Iwo Jima, this study in cultural iconography aims to transcend the icon to show the honour in remembering what really happened.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674469801/?tag=2022091-20
(Looks at Grandma Moses as a cultural phenomenon of the po...)
Looks at Grandma Moses as a cultural phenomenon of the post-war period and explores the meaning of her subject matter - and her astonishing fame. This book reveals the longing for the memories, comforts, and small victories of a mythic, intimate American past tapped by the phenomenon - in art and commerce alike - of Grandma Moses.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007SKCAEO/?tag=2022091-20
(More than 300 black-and-white illustrations vividly portr...)
More than 300 black-and-white illustrations vividly portray the fair and its many faces. Historic photographs show long-gone amusements-the wooden Cannon Ball roller coaster, an organ grinder and his monkey, reenactments of famous battles at the Grandstand-as well as early versions of fair scenes that know no era: crowds, traffic jams, trinket sellers, prize winners. Reproductions of advertisements, posters, ribbons, lapel pins, and newspaper cartoons give a glimpse of the cheerful hype of promoters and the tongue-in-cheek commentary that accompanied their efforts. And contemporary photographs capture the fair's varied moods and scenes, from the early-morning preparations in a church dining hall through the stresses and joys of showing animals, the thrill of the Midway, the lure of deep-fried foods, and the excitement of being crowned a queen, to the clean-up of tons of garbage in the night's wee hours. Along with the glitter and the fun, the Minnesota State Fair has always been a microcosm of midwestern life. Almost 150 years of cultural, social, aesthetic, economic, and technological change have left their mark on the venerable institution. And, at the same time, the fair has made its mark on society-urban as well as rural. Displays of women's work or farm machinery, the fine arts or the prize bull-all have been part of the fair's dual mission of education and entertainment. Each of Blue Ribbon's chapters focuses on one such topic, showing how the state fair grew and responded to prevailing tastes and conditions-and how it sometimes acted as a powerful agent of change. Art and architecture, politics, social movements, and agricultural history are all part of this story-along with the dimensions of giant radishes, the memories of early fairgoers, and a listing of the calories in favorite state fair foods. Like the fair itself, this book offers something for everyone. Here are the sights, if not the smells and sounds, of "The World's Greatest State Fair."
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0873512529/?tag=2022091-20
(The Mountie wore his heart (and ours) on his bright red s...)
The Mountie wore his heart (and ours) on his bright red sleeve; he stood for integrity, bravery, and a whole range of Victorian virtues that had been banished from the abstract art of the modern, 20th century. The big calendars that carried these images were Northwest Paper Company's pride and joy. To promote high-quality paper to the printing trade, it was crucial to show how well it reproduced the intended colors---how well it "printed." Chicago ad man Frank Cash had the answer: The red Mountie tunic and the vivid hues of the outdoor landscapes would test the printing qualities of Northwest paper to its limits. The heroic male figure would appeal to the jobbers and printers; theirs was, in the 1930s, strictly a man's world. LOOKING NORTH features 140 color illustrations by Arnold Friberg, Hal Foster, and 13 other artists who created these stunning story-ads for the Northwest Paper Company in Cloquet, Minnesota, between 1931 and 1970.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/189043454X/?tag=2022091-20
(It is an institution that seems almost hopelessly out of ...)
It is an institution that seems almost hopelessly out of date, a social relic of bygone times. The very word "debutante" evokes images of prim, poised beauty, expensive gowns, and sumptuous balls, all of which seem anachronistic in these post-women's liberation times. But as Karal Ann Marling reveals, debdom in America is alive and well and ever evolving. For thousands of young women every year, the society debut remains a vital rite of passage, a demonstration of female power; debs continue to be viewed as the finest flowers of a distinctive American culture. The debut and its offshoots--the high school prom, the sorority presentation, assorted beauty pageants--continue to emphasize celebrity, class, and community. But why does this peculiar tradition persist? Marling has the answer, as she demystifies debdom and the "long-term American hankering after the trappings of royalty." Debutante presents a penetrating and entertaining look at American debdom from the colonial era to the present day. Debbing has always been a performance art, created by and for women. In its heyday in the nineteenth century, debut signified the formal presentation to elite society of a young woman of substance who was eligible for marriage. During the twentieth century, it evolved from the glamour girl galas of the Great Depression to the charity bashes of the 1980s after the "Deb Drought" of the '60s and '70s. Marling reviews this colorful history, documenting changes in debdom right up to our own day, when the sisterhood of debs includes African Americans, Latinas, and members of other ethnic groups once carefully excluded: now even economically disadvantaged young women have their coming-out, where the emphasis of the event is on community. In these pages, aspiring debs and curious readers alike will be taken from teas and cotillions to café society and discover the rich material culture of debdom, with its flowers and favors, gowns and pearls. They'll also meet famous debs of the '30s like Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton and glamour girl Brenda Duff Frasier; experience black American high society at the debut of Nat King Cole's daughter Cookie; and attend such civic spectacles as Kansas City's Jewel Ball and St. Louis's Veiled Prophet Ball. In sparkling prose graced by a gallery of captivating photos, Marling provides an illuminating inside look at debs and a world that continues to celebrate the spirit and diversity of American womanhood.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/070061317X/?tag=2022091-20
(Explores George Washington's historical and present econo...)
Explores George Washington's historical and present econographical meaning for America, as Revolutionary general, Father of His Country, first president, hero, and creator of a constitutional government.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674349512/?tag=2022091-20
(Book is a thorough but interesting study of the mostly WP...)
Book is a thorough but interesting study of the mostly WPA murals painted in post offices during the New Deal era.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0816611165/?tag=2022091-20
( It is a story that has gone down in the annals of Amer...)
It is a story that has gone down in the annals of American art history: a New Yorker visiting upstate Hoosick Falls is entranced by four pictures hanging in the window of a drugstore. Investigating further, he learns they are the handiwork of a 78-year-old widow. Thus begins the rise to fame of Grandma Moses--farmwife, painter, and unlikely celebrity. In this book Karal Ann Marling, distinguished observer of American visual culture, looks at Grandma Moses as a cultural phenomenon of the postwar period and explores the meaning of her subject matter--and her astonishing fame. What did the "Greatest Generation" see in her simple renderings of people, young and old, tapping maple trees for syrup, making apple butter, gliding across snowy fields on sleighs? Why did Bob Hope, Irving Berlin, and Harry Truman all love her--and the art czars of New York openly despise her? Through the flood of Moses merchandise--splashed across Christmas cards, dishware, yard goods, and gewgaws of every kind--Marling traces the resonances that these "primitive" images struck in an America awkwardly adjusting to a new era of technology, suburbia, and Cold War tensions. Between the cultural ephemera, folklore, song, and history embedded in Moses' paintings and the potent advertising shorthand for Americana that her images rapidly became, this book reveals the widespread longing for the memories, comforts, and small victories of a mythic, intimate American past tapped by the phenomenon--in art and commerce alike--of Grandma Moses.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674022262/?tag=2022091-20
Art history and social sciences educator
Marling, Karal Ann was born on November 5, 1943 in Rochester, New York, United States. Daughter of Raymond J. and Marjorie (Karal) Marling.
Doctor of Philosophy, Bryn Mawr College, 1971.
Professor art history and American studies University Minnesota, Minneapolis, 1977—2008, emeritus professor, since 2008.
(From the back cover of the book, quoted in part: " The Am...)
(Where can one find the world's largest prairie chicken, a...)
(The Mountie wore his heart (and ours) on his bright red s...)
(Explores George Washington's historical and present econo...)
( It is a story that has gone down in the annals of Amer...)
(In the split second that it took Associated Press photogr...)
(Looks at Grandma Moses as a cultural phenomenon of the po...)
(Book is a thorough but interesting study of the mostly WP...)
(It is an institution that seems almost hopelessly out of ...)
(More than 300 black-and-white illustrations vividly portr...)
(Book by Marling, Karal Ann)
(Book by Karal Ann Marling)