Dydia DeLyser Evening Lecture: "Collecting, Kitsch, and the Intimate Geographies of Social Memory: A Story of Archive and Intervention"

February 20^th; 6:00-7:00 PM in Room L140 of Elvehjem Hall

Co-Sponsored By The Material Culture Program, The Department Of Geography, And The Art History Department

Lecture Description:

This lecture traces the real significance(s) of seemingly superficial tourist souvenirs, and the intimate geographies of social memory to which they are linked. Dydia DeLyser collects kitschy American artifacts such as salt and peppershakers from sites that she experiences as a cultural geographer. Rather than using artifacts from libraries or archives, DeLyser acquires souvenirs that influence the direction of her academic writing. She suggests that the process of acquisition allows one to write about social memory in a more meaningful and personal manner. This talk examines the intersection of academic research with the subjective endeavor of collecting American memories and artifacts.

                                                                                     

Brief Biography: Dydia DeLyser is an associate professor of cultural geography at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. She earned her Ph.D. from Syracuse University in 1996. DeLyser’s work deals with issues such as tourism, social memory, the American roadside, and the history of women in aviation. She is the author of the book Ramona Memories: Tourism And The Shaping Of Southern California (2005, Minnesota) and has edited numerous scholarly volumes.