Description

Book Synopsis
A piece of Plymouth Rock. A lock of George Washington's hair. Wood from the cabin where Abraham Lincoln was born. Kept in museum collections across the US, such objects are the touchstones of our popular engagement with history. This book explores the history of private collections of items like these, illuminating how Americans view the past.

Trade Review
"Teresa Barnett is interested in the survival of public things and personal and what they meant to people. Drawing selectively but constructively upon the evidence, episodes, and theories, Sacred Relics is a very sophisticated and polished piece of work, offering the reader a clear sense of change over time in the realm of reliquaries and their keepers. There is no single work like it in US historiography. It will be a must-read in the fields of cultural, intellectual, and social history." (Michael Kammen, Cornell University)"

Sacred Relics Pieces of the Past in

    Product form

    £35.15

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £37.00 – you save £1.85 (5%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Tue 30 Jun 2026.

    A Hardback by Teresa Barnett

    1 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Sacred Relics Pieces of the Past in by Teresa Barnett

      Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
      Publication Date: 19/09/2013
      ISBN13: 9780226059600, 978-0226059600
      ISBN10: 022605960X
      Also in:
      Museology and heritage studies Orality / Oral transmission

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      A piece of Plymouth Rock. A lock of George Washington's hair. Wood from the cabin where Abraham Lincoln was born. Kept in museum collections across the US, such objects are the touchstones of our popular engagement with history. This book explores the history of private collections of items like these, illuminating how Americans view the past.

      Trade Review
      "Teresa Barnett is interested in the survival of public things and personal and what they meant to people. Drawing selectively but constructively upon the evidence, episodes, and theories, Sacred Relics is a very sophisticated and polished piece of work, offering the reader a clear sense of change over time in the realm of reliquaries and their keepers. There is no single work like it in US historiography. It will be a must-read in the fields of cultural, intellectual, and social history." (Michael Kammen, Cornell University)"

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account