History through material culture is a concise guide for historians focused on how to use material culture as a source. Written in an engaging and clear style, it provides step-by-step instructions for researchers interested in incorporating the study of objects into their historical practice.
The book aims to inspire readers to use objects as historical sources by highlighting the many new and exciting avenues of research which this rich evidence opens up. By outlining the development of different disciplinary approaches and synthesising a range of complex methodological and theoretical arguments, the book aids researchers in developing their own original project. It draws on a range of examples from across the world, from apparently mundane everyday items to those stored in national museums, and concentrates on the early modern and modern eras. The authors are both historians with experience of working in museums and, consequently, the book contains a
