Americana

Americana refers to artifacts, or a collection of artifacts, related to the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States. Many kinds of material fall within the definition of Americana: paintings, prints and drawings; license plates or entire vehicles, household objects, tools and weapons; flags, plaques and statues, and so on. Patriotism and nostalgia play defining roles in the subject. The things involved need not be old, but need to have the appropriate associations. The term may be used to describe the theme of a museum or collection, or of goods for sale.

The term can also be used to describe studies of American culture, especially studies based in other countries. Americana music is contemporary music that incorporates elements of various American roots music styles, including country, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass and blues, resulting in a distinctive roots-oriented sound.

In other languages

In some Romance languages (including Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Catalan and Italian), Americana is the feminine noun or adjective referring to American women, American culture, and other objects contexted in feminine gender.

Examples

Some notable examples include:

• 20th century cars made by American manufacturers (e.g. Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler, AMC), Muscle Cars
• Famous American people, most notably Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Babe Ruth and Elvis Presley
• Music with American roots, such as Jazz, Rock & Roll, R&B, Country, Bluegrass, Blues
• Fast food and fast food restaurants, most notably McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Burger King
• The all American drive-in theater
• Harley Davidson Motorcycles
• Hollywood and its many famous actors
• World War II era Pin-Up girls
• Cheerleaders, Bubble Gum, Roller rink
• Buck Knives
• Sports ingrained in American culture such as American football, baseball, and basketball.
• The Statue of Liberty
• Notable American presidents, such as Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt
• The American pick-up truck
• American beers (Budweiser, Miller, Coors, Pabst Blue Ribbon, etc.)
• The Juke Box
• John Deere tractors
• Winchester Repeating Arms
• Coca Cola
• Jeans
• Indian Motorcycles
• Diners

See also

• American Studies
• American Studies in Britain
• Culture of the United States

References

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