A Material World : Penn State University Press : 9780271081151 : 0271081155 : 28 Jan 2019 : In this volume, scholars from various disciplines show how physical objects can expand our comprehension of how people lived, worked, and thought during the colonial and early national periods. Inspired by the &;material turn&; that introduced the legibility of objects across humanities disciplines, the essays in this collection show how &;reading&; material objects from sites such as Monticello, Salem, and the Connecticut River Valley brings to light significant dimensions of social experience and cultural practices that are not visible in the written record of early America. Reading objects for evidence of the lives and values of the individuals and groups that imagined, fabricated, bought, and used them, the contributors examine the migration of items such as chairs, fashionable dressing tables, portraits, and even natural relics. In doing so, they uncover complex economic, ethical, and mnem