Cultural History Commons^™

Historical Research And Conservation Treatment Of An Oversized 19th-Century Subscription Family Bible, Charlotte Starnes

Art Conservation Master's Projects

This paper briefly examines the construction, materials, and conservation challenges of 19th-century subscription Bibles, focusing on the treatment of an 1885 Thomas Kelly Latin Vulgate Family Bible. These large-format, heavily decorated volumes represent the unique intersection of industrialized book production and traditional hand-binding techniques. Through the visual comparison of multiple subscription Bible structures and canvasser’s sample books, historical research, and survey responses from conservators, this project identifies key structural features, including hybrid board attachment methods, varied sewing techniques, and the sculpted two-board coverboard structure. X-radiography, microscopy, and preliminary XRF analysis provide further insights into material choices, such as the use …

The Mighty C: A Fractal Model For Modern Creativity, Joe Todaro

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The persistent ambiguity surrounding the definition of creativity has hindered its advancement across academic, educational, and professional settings. In response, this paper proposes an updated framework—The Mighty C—which defines creativity as the intrinsic human activity of generating meaningful, novel, and useful outcomes through deliberate process. This model addresses critical gaps in conventional definitions, particularly the frequent omission of meaningfulness, intentionality, and the uniquely human nature of creativity. It further emphasizes the recursive nature of these aspects across different levels of creative activity, represented through the structure of fractals. Drawing from scholarly models such as Rhodes’ 4Ps and Kaufman and Beghetto’s …

Constructing The Enemy: How Us Media Framed The Ussr In The 1980s, Tyler J. Buchanan

The Exposition

Tyler Buchanan, Constructing the Enemy: How US Media Framed the USSR in the 1980s. This paper examines the presentation of media in the United States on American citizens through an analysis of the use of commercials and advertisements,. Ultimately, the media in the United States from the 1980s reveal a clear and apparent message the US media portrays the USSR to instill fear into the average American citizen. The 1980s was a hotbed for the ideological and political rivalry between the United States and the USSR during the Cold War. The United States sought to promote democracy and capitalism, …

From Adoption Papers To Shopping Lines: Decoding The Cabbage Patch Kids Craze Of U.S. Shoppers In The 1980s., Jeffrey J. Wilson

The Exposition

No abstract provided.

Satanic Panic: A Case Study Of Snakeland In Buffalo, New York During The 1980s, Emily Jarnot

The Exposition

No abstract provided.

Cramped, Narrow, And Overfilled: What Drove The Renovation Of Rochester’S Can Of Worms In March 1989, Declan S. Morrow

The Exposition

Constructed in the 1960s and rebuilt in the 1980s, the I-490 Interchange situated east of Rochester, New York was a source of constant controversy by the motorists who used the freeway to journey from the suburbs where they lived to the downtown districts where they worked. This infamous interchange became known to Rochesterarians as “the Can of Worms” because of its winding ramps and narrow roads that would often leave those who traversed it confused and at the mercy of other drivers if they had not already experienced its design. To explain why this freeway was so terrible to drive …

An Examination Of The Visual And Textual Influences On The Anthology Of American Folk Music, Ben Collier

History Theses

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a collection of eight-four selections of southern vernacular recordings made for commercial record labels in the 1920s and 1930s and assembled into a unified collage by Harry Smith. Smith was an experimental filmmaker, painter, and self-taught anthropologist with a deep interest in renaissance hermeticism and mysticism who worked with Moe Asch in 1952 to release the six-record set and accompanying handbook on Folkways Records. The release was heralded by musicians and critics as an essential piece of influence on the folk music revival. Despite this, the Anthology sold poorly and quickly faced legal …

Victory Gardens: Feeding Allies And Families At Home, Lauren Zaborowski

The Exposition

A look at the Victory Garden project that started during WWI and continued on through peacetime and allowed the United States of America to supply food to the local populations, troops abroad and allied countries facing food shortages.

Frozen In Time: The History Of Frozen Food In America During The 1940s To 1950s, Mahyoub N. Gobah

The Exposition

Frozen foods are a powerhouse when it comes to the food industry. In 2020 Frozen foods registered $65.1 billion in US retail sales, which marked a 21% increase when compared to the previous year. Frozen foods have always been big and popular, and they are available in most stores around the world. The history of frozen foods can explain how they became a powerhouse in the present day. Frozen foods history started with the Clarence Birdseye. Clarence Birdseye is considered the founder of the modern frozen food industry; he was able to invent a new way to freeze food. The …

"To Serve, Educate, Unify, And Organize": The Black Panthers' Free Breakfast Program And Cointelpro In The United States, 1968-1971, Joshua Sinclair

The Exposition

The creation of the Black Panther Party’s Free Breakfast for Schoolchildren marked a shift away from the community defense origins of the Party, focusing more on community outreach and unification. The social and political implications of the Program – expanded interest by black and white moderates, and growing popularity of the party in general – made the breakfasts and the Party targets for the FBI’s Counter-Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO.) With the end goal of neutralizing the Panthers in mind, the FBI had a prime target to focus this work in the Breakfast Program.

How Chinese-American Cuisine Was Advertised In The U.S. During The 1900s, Tyler J. Buchanan

The Exposition

This poster details the public opinion/view of Chinese-American cuisine changed from its founding in the early 1900s. This topic was closely related to the Chinese as they exclusively made the food up until recent years.

Roman Food In The Imperial Age Viewed Through The Lens Of Class, John B. Nienhaus

The Exposition

A look into Roman food history in the imperial age with a focus on class and the differences of the classes eating habits, access to ingredients, and diets.

The Renaissance Plutocracy Of Cosimo De’ Medici: How He Used Patronage To His Advantage In 15th Century Florence, Victoria L. Schultz

The Exposition

This paper provides a detailed account of Cosimo de' Medici's patronage practices and the impact they had on the political and cultural landscape of Renaissance Florence. Cosimo consolidated power and influence in Florence, positioning himself as the city's preeminent political and cultural figure. This paper will examine the ways Cosimo leveraged his wealth and connections to establish a Renaissance plutocracy in Florence with a focus on his use of patronage to gain and maintain power.

Lars Gustaf Sellstedt: Art In Buffalo And The Buffalo Fine Art Academy, Shannon N. Gilmartin

History Theses

This Master’s Thesis Project researches the life of a forgotten Buffalo artist, Lars Gustaf Sellstedt. He was born in Sundsvall, Sweden and started his life as a sailor when he became a cabin boy as an early teenager. For most of his young life until his mid-twenties, Sellstedt was a sailor traveling to all corners of the world. He started his journey as an artist while in between sailing jobs. Over many decades he portraits locally and abroad mainly in the Caribbean Islands. Sellstedt was one of the few artists in 19th century Buffalo, sharing the profession with William J. …

Visual Representation Of Black Individuals At The Forefront Of Underground Railroad Interpretation, Alison Spongr

Museum Studies Theses

This thesis is grounded in a reflection and analysis of the building of an institution whose foundation and visuals position the narratives of Black individuals at the forefront of Underground Railroad interpretation. In 2018, the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center opened to the public after decades in the making. Its permanent exhibition, One More River to Cross, set in motion a shift in power – of whose stories are represented and shared – generated by visual activism.

“Between the American Revolution in 1776 and the end of the Civil War in 1865, thousands of freedom seekers escaped slavery …

The Grassroots Movement Of Food Allergens In The United States And The Governments Role From 1990-2016, Maria R. Garbo

The Exposition

This poster aims to explain the beginning of food allergens in the United States and how the governments interactions influence the history of food allergies. Using government documents and data it unravels what exactly the government did to help or lack there of in a very serious matter. Food allergens were a grassroots movement in the United States and just began to raise awareness within the last few decades.

Europe Vs. United States: Consumer Resistance To Gm Crops From 1990-2010, Lauren R. Stashak

The Exposition

No abstract provided.

Preservation, Production, & Rationing Of Food In The United States Home Front During World War Ii (1939-1945), Kaleigh Kropidlowski

The Exposition

No abstract provided.

Dollar Menu Morality: Fast Food In Twentieth And Twenty First Century America, Kassius J. Broadus

The Exposition

This is a poster for the final research paper required in HIS300W, taught by Dr. Bridget Chesterton, Fall 2021.

Food For Vitamin C, Aden Yakub

The Exposition

No abstract provided.

How Cereal Helped Shape The American Diet In The 20th Century, Maxwell T. Shoemaker

The Exposition

No abstract provided.

Women And Jell-O™ Advertising In 20th Century America, Victoria L. Schultz

The Exposition

Women have been the exclusive and consistent factor influencing the advertising process for the American food brand, Jell-O, since its inception at the dawn of the 20^th Century and ever since.

Irish Potato Famine: 1845-51, George Brown Iii

The Exposition

No abstract provided.

The Irish Potato Famine And Its Effects On The Irish Peasants In The Mid-19th Century, Thomas Olszewski

The Exposition

The subject of this research project is the Great Irish Potato Famine that took place between 1845 and 1852. Ultimately, the goal of this project was to describe the effects of the famine on the Irish peasants while also looking at the relationship between the Irish and British. As a result of an overreliance on the potato, the Irish peasants were faced with one of the worst famines in human history.

The Evolution Of The America Perception Of Lobster From The 17th To The 21st Century, Michael T. Fisher

The Exposition

Lobster early in American history was a low class food commonly served to servants and slaves. Technological advancements, and scarcity during World War II are what facilitated preservation of fresh lobster drove the cultural shift behind the elevated status of the American Lobster.

A Brief History Of The Irish And Social Mobility In Buffalo, New York From The 1830s To The 1860s, Evan B. Kennedy

History Theses

The focus of this thesis is to contribute and expand upon the historiography of Irish American history in Buffalo, New York. Throughout the 1830s and into the 1860s, the Irish in Buffalo were able to become socially mobile and establish themselves as a powerful group for change in the city. It is important to acknowledge that the process to become socially mobile was not easy for the Irish migrants and their later descendants. There were countless hardships and struggles the Irish faced prior to their journey to the United States and after their arrival and settlement in Buffalo. The time …

The Curious History Of Jeppsons Malört: From The Repeal Of Prohibition To Cult-Status In Chicago, Illinois, Andrew Pothier

The Exposition

This research project explores the curious ascension of Jeppson Malört, a brand of bäsk brännvin - Swedish style wormwood liquor - produced by the Carl Jeppson Company of Chicago, Illinois. This research considers Jeppsons From its earliest production and marketing, by Carl Jeppson, a Swedish immigrant to the United States during Prohibition as a legal medicinal beverage during prohibition, and later to its present-day cult-beverage status in Chicago. It is, however, Malörts relative regional-centric acclaim that raises the essential question of this research. First, how is it that Malört became a cultural staple - a Chicagoans right-of-passage beverage, so to …

The United States Print Media And Its War On Psychedelic Research In The 1960s, Jessica M. Bracco

The Exposition

The social climate of the 1960s denied the possible usefulness of psychedelics as drugs that could be considered therapeutic. The government attacked the research of psychedelics by demanding a stricter proof of efficacy, with the 1962 Kefauver Harris Amendments to FDA regulations, in order to conduct research on these drugs. Also, the government moved to classify these drugs as "Dangerous Drugs" making it a felony to manufacture, sell, possess, or consume these class of drugs. Furthermore, propaganda was spread to the American people, via the print media, claiming the proclivity of the drug for recreational use and the dangers this …

Analysis Considering The Significance Of The Use Of Naval Blockades During The Napoleonic Wars, John J. Janora

The Exposition

During the course of the 18th and 19th centuries the British Navy took an age old method of manipulating and dominating an enemy, the naval blockade, and perfected it. The blockade was going to be used by a generation of admirals, captains, and crews in a way that would cause pain, financially, physically and psychologically, on a large swath of the western world, much of it specifically centered on ensuring that Napoleon and his aggressively expansionist France would pay too dear a price if they tried to move off of the European mainland. The British Navy and their continued use …

Pushing The Protestant Culinary Agenda In Depression Era America, Brittany M. Millidge

The Exposition

No abstract provided.