Synopses & Reviews
Long before Americans were imbued with the sense of a national past, local antiquarians and amateur historians wrote about the people, places, and happenings that were closest to their hearts, creating in the process a historical record of incalculable value. This gold mine of information and commentary is often overlooked by today's scholars. Russo's book puts us in touch with the historical consciousness of the American people and the once-paramount concern for the particular, the concrete, and the familiar.
Review
. . . This is the first detailed survey of "amateur local historians" . . . Russo's analysis of editors of multi-volumed works, 1865-1930s, is especially valuable. The book ends with an intriguing critique of modern uses of local history by academic historians. Russo has made a useful beginning to an immensely complex topic. . . .Vermont History
About the Author
DAVID J. RUSSO is a Professor of History at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
Table of Contents
The Early Antiquarians
The Early Setting
The New England Pioneers: Their Histories
Elsewhere: John F. Watson
The Later Antiquarians
The Later Setting
Town Historians
City Historians
Repeaters
Formulaic Local History
Local History as a Publishing Venture
Local History as an Editorial Project
Local History as Literature
The Coming of The Academics
Amateurs and Academics
Bibliography
Index