Most Popular Books by Karal Ann Marling

Christmas wouldn''t be the same without the "things". This book examines why the trees, cards, wrapping paper, toy villages and Macy''s holiday parade play such an important role in the festivities. Through the medium of mass culture, Christmas is here primarily defined as a secular celebration.

In the split second that it took Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal to snap the shutter of his Speed Graphic, a powerful and enduring American symbol was born. Iwo Jima: Monuments, Memories and the American Hero tells the story of that icon as it appeared over the next 40 years in bond drive posters, stamps, Hollywood movies, political cartoons, and sculpture, most notably the colossal Marine Corps War Memorial outside Washington, D.C. The book is also a study of the soldiers who fought one of the bloodiest battles and of the impact of Iwo Jima on the rest of their lives.

Discusses popular culture in the United States after the invention of the television.

Looks at the works of the American painter, describing his depection of American society and how it was influenced by the events in his life.

Describes what Graceland, the home Elvis Presley built in Memphis, tells about the late singer''s life and personality.

"In this book Karal Ann Marling looks at Grandma Moses as a cultural phenomenon of the postwar period and explores the meaning of her subject matter - and her astonishing fame. What did the "Greatest Generation" see in her simple renderings of people, young and old, tapping maple trees for syrup, making apple butter, gliding across snowy fields on sleighs? Why did Bob Hope, Irving Berlin, and Harry Truman all love her - and the art czars'' of New York openly despise her? Through the flood of Moses merchandise - splashed across Christmas cards, dishware, yard goods, and gewgaws of every kind - Marling traces the resonances that these "primitive" images struck in an America awkwardly adjusting to a new era of technology, suburbia, and Cold War tensions.".

From the back cover of the book, quoted in part:"The America Karal Ann Marling (the author) refers to is small-town America during the depression era; in particular those communities that were portrayed in the 1000-odd murals that appeared in post offices around the country under the auspices of the Treasury Department Section of Fine Arts. She goes far beyond an investigation of the murals as art, and ''Wall to Wall America'' becomes an intelligent, often irreverent, discussion of popular taste and culture during the depression decade. "

In her quest for the unhistorical George Washington, Marling has examined the subculture of American life--magazine fiction, historical romances, movies, and journalism. She traces the descent of high art into such popular forms as posters, billboards, and advertising packages. 224 halftones.

This book features a detailed chronological summary of the artist''s life and work.

From frozen wastelands to visionary explorers, from frosty desserts to shimmering castles--cultural historian Karal Ann Marling weaves together fantastic and fascinating topics related to "hard, cold water."

These two studies are connected by their very different Kansas-related subject matter. "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka: Norman Rockwell''s The Problem We All Live With," examines the development of Rockwell''s social consciousness and its culmination in his painting of an African American child being escorted to school by U.S.

Describes the histories and myths surrounding the flag of the United States of America from its revolutionary birth to the present day, and is lavishly illustrated from the archives of the Library of Congress.

The photographs found in this book are compiled from a series of photographs taken between 1988 and 1990.

The social debut and its offshoots--the high school prom, the sorority presentation, beauty pageants--continue to emphasize celebrity, class, and community. But why does this peculiar tradition persist? In "Debutante," Marling demystifies debdom and the "long-term American hankering after the trappings of royalty."

Covers everything from prize animals to fair architecture to speeches to Pronto Pups.

A rich and lively examination of this curious and pervasive tradition. The world''s largest prairie chicken, a restaurant shaped like a fish, a massive Paul Bunyan, an enormous ear of corn-roadside sculpture is a uniquely American phenomenon, and these strange and wonderful figures are scattered along highways and standing in small-town squares, particularly in the Midwest. These odd, oversized attractions have become destinations for travelers. Whether it serves art, commerce, or local pride, the colossus is a stopping place where the everyday rules of reality are suspended and the observer can gain insight into the way these communities imagine themselves. Karal Ann Marling visits dozens of these roadside attractions, viewing them analytically, intellectually, and enthusiastically, tracing each one through folklore and literature. Heavily illustrated, this book takes the reader on the road to examine these treasures and all that they represent.

A lavishly illustrated catalogue containing nearly 150 photographs (both color and bandw) by some 50 young photographers to accompany a major exhibit presented by the Smithsonian Institution''s National Museum of American Art. Most of the images date to the late 1980s and encompass a wide variety of styles. The volume is 121/2x10" and a number of the photographs are double-page spreads. Includes topical essays by Merry A. Foresta, Karal Ann Marling, and Stephen Jay Gould. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

He began as a Midwestern cartoonist with big dreams. As a successful, young Hollywood filmmaker, he imagined a new type of entertainment - a family park - where he could create a world of pure, uncompromising fun and fantasy to share with his daughters. Fifty years after the realization of his vision, Disneyland, the name Walt Disney has become synonymous with trusted family entertainment.Behind the Magic - 50 Years of Disneyland is the written companion of hte exhibition (by the same name) created by The Henry Ford and Walt Disney Imagineering. Written by Karal Ann Marling and Donna Braden, both of whom served as curators of the exhibit, this book is a behind the scenes walk-through of Disney''s original theme park - brick by brick - and subsequently details the birth of a new genre of family amusement, offering interesting, little known facts that will pique the curiosity of those who have donned mouse ears and those who have not.

The penny bank craze of the twentieth century began quietly enough. Here, a slotted pottery pig from Scotland. There, a grimacing human face made in Bennington, Vermont. In 1793, penny banks first appeared in America, along with the first large copper pennies. Those who mistrusted paper currency saved their "hard" money in vessels of pottery, glass, and tin. In the 1890s, "China Pig" with a slit in his back sold for a dime. Plump pigs and pennies went together like thrift and future success. To this day, these iconic examples of American folk art and vernacular design are prized additions to museum and personal collections throughout the country. Money in the Bank details a wide range of extraordinary still and mechanical banks acquired by Katherine Kierland Herberger, who initially discovered the pleasure and variety of toy banks as gifts for her son. Over 1,200 purchases later, she donated the collection to The Minneapolis Institute of Arts. All are pictured here in full color for the first time. Acclaimed art historian Karal Ann Marling contributes an essay to the book tracing the importance of banks in popular culture, and an introduction narrates Herberger''s extensive collecting activities. Money in the Bank is a lavishly illustrated and remarkably comprehensive catalog that demonstrates the charm and whimsy, as well as the significance, of toy banks in America. Corine Wegener is assistant curator at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Karal Ann Marling is professor of American studies and art history at the University of Minnesota. Distributed for The Minneapolis Institute of Arts

L''histoire de ma vie est, vraiment, l''histoire de mes images et de la façon dont je les ai faites parce que, d''une façon ou d''une autre, tout ce que j''ai vu ou fait est toujours passé dans mes peintures.