Popularizing Pennsylvania: Henry W. Shoemaker and the Progressive Uses of Folklore and History

Rating:
Summary: A great biography and introduction to folklore
Review: This is a good book for anyone interested in the progressive era in Pennsylvania. It's well-written, with photos and biographical information as well as discussions of various issues in folklore studies. It's a useful book to read if you have come across Henry W. Shoemaker's writings doing research on Pennsylvania, as I have, and wondered what sort of standing the author has in the world of folklore. Shoemaker is, of course, from an earlier age of scholarship, when the "gentleman amateur" was at the forefront of things. Henry W. Shoemaker was a fascinating individual, although I must admit that I'm biased because my family history is from many of the areas that were of interest to him.

Rating:
Summary: A great biography and introduction to folklore
Review: This is a good book for anyone interested in the progressive era in Pennsylvania. It's well-written, with photos and biographical information as well as discussions of various issues in folklore studies. It's a useful book to read if you have come across Henry W. Shoemaker's writings doing research on Pennsylvania, as I have, and wondered what sort of standing the author has in the world of folklore. Shoemaker is, of course, from an earlier age of scholarship, when the "gentleman amateur" was at the forefront of things. Henry W. Shoemaker was a fascinating individual, although I must admit that I'm biased because my family history is from many of the areas that were of interest to him.