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Material Culture:

A Research Guide

Introduction | Finding Books | Finding Articles | Primary Sources | Web Sites

Introduction

This guide will help you to use the University of Delaware Library when researching material culture.

The interdisciplinary nature of material culture—at the intersection of history, anthropology, folklore, and the history of science and technology—means that relevant materials are widely dispersed throughout the collections.

“Guides to the literature,” such as the following, provide an overview of researching material culture in academic libraries and elsewhere.

Some books and articles you need for your research may not be in the University of Delaware Library but may be obtained on interlibrary loan. Use WorldCat to provide a good citation to the Interlibrary Loan staff.

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Finding Books

DELCAT tells you what library materials the University of Delaware owns and where they are located. You can search DELCAT by author, title, subject, keyword, or call number. When searching DELCAT, it helps to know the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). One method of identifying the subject headings is by checking the Library of Congress Subject Headings bound volumes that are located at the Information Desk or in the Reference Room. Remember that DELCAT does not contain any records for articles in serial publications (journals, magazines, periodicals, newspapers) and only partial records for materials in special formats (such as maps and government documents).

Encyclopedias and handbooks, often shelved in the Reference collection, can provide useful descriptions, overviews, and often list recommended reading on a topic.

Bibliographies can help you identify books and articles on a subject. Here are some examples:

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Finding Articles

Periodical indexes can help you identify articles in scholarly journals and popular magazines. Generally these indexes provide citations to published articles, and in many cases, abstracts as well. In some cases, the full text of articles is available. Here are some of the most important periodical indexes for locating published articles about material culture.

For online access primarily to the more recent literature, use the following:

To find older literature (i.e., 19th and early 20th century), use the following:

Important serial publications for material culture include Historical Archaeology, Material History Review, Technology and Culture, and Winterthur Portfolio.

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Primary Sources

Many magazines and newspapers from the nineteenth century include articles about recent inventions and domestic life, pictures of the latest fashions and styles, as well as advertisements for mail order goods.

A few important magazines are:

Other mid-19th century periodicals have been digitized as a part of the Making of America project, available from Cornell University and from the University of Michigan. (Different material is available at each site.)

Older newspapers include:

For Delaware newspapers, consult Delaware Newspapers in the University of Delaware Library. For other titles, consult Early American Newspapers (Microfilm S 483) and Micromedia in Morris Library (at Reference Desk and at Microforms Desk). Many early American newspapers are online; see America’s Historical Newspapers.

A source of advertising images is:

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Web Sites
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This page is maintained by David L. Langenberg, Collection Development Department.
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Last modified: 01/17/08
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