Buoyed by the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s; historians began reevaluating previously held beliefs of American slavery. Under particular scrutiny was the belief in slavery's paternalistic benevolence. Remembering the Days of Sorrow is not another attempt to revise this outdated perception justifying slavery. Others have already done that. As part of the New Deal's national agenda of work relief programs; the Slave Narratives project provided employment while simultaneously preserving the memories of former slaves throughout the country. Remembering the Days of Sorrow allows the voices of Texas's former slaves to resonate to a new generation as they remembered what it was like to suffer under the yoke of slavery as well as the yoke of old age and poverty in the Great Depression of the 1930s.
#1027963 in Books University of Washington Press 2009-06-12Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.40 x 1.20 x 8.60l; 4.30 #File Name: 1931485070400 pages
Review
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. The sale of the century - an important record of cultural dispersal and destructionBy K. MaxwellIf you've ever wondered how so many Imperial Faberge Easter eggs and other Romanov treasures appeared in the west after the Russian revolution then this book holds the answers. In 1917; with the Tsar deposed; Russia found itself in a bad situation with social chaos; starvation and large war indemnities due to the Germans. The situation meant that the massive Imperial gold reserve; estimated to the biggest in the world at the time; was quickly depleted. In order to be able to buy things like grain and tractors from foreign countries the revolutionaries found that they needed foreign currency - lots of it and soon. Their answer was to sell the accumulated treasures of the aristocracy to raise cash.This book details the various sales; government departments and individuals responsible for the dispersal of centuries of accumulated wealth in the 1920s and 1930s. It was unfortunate that this policy coincided with the great depression and that those selling the art works on the Russian side knew next to nothing about the items they were selling - as those who tried to protect them for the country were quickly ejected from positions of influence and replaced with more ideologically acceptable people.We have here a story which affected every mansion; stately home; place; church and museum in Russia. No place was unaffected by government policy with regards to precious stones; metals and other artworks. Irreplaceable objects were sold for a song in many cases or for goods; such as tractors; which only had a short term gain. The book was produced for the Hillwood museum in Washington and principally illustrates items from their collection of Russian art works; though some items; such as a couple of photos of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna from the New York Public Library collection are also illustrated.Various authors have contributed the following essays which fall into the following sections "soviet culture after the revolution"; "soviet museums and the first five year plan"; "sales in Europe and the united states" and "imperial libraries and archives"; which highlight a destruction in Russia that was as severe as the cultural revolution in China in the 1960s. This book is highly recommended for those interested in the fate of Russia's treasures after the revolution.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Four StarsBy HG YooExcellent except for book cover's torn partially.9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Terrific!By BagelchipThis book is just excellent on the topic of how the Soviets sold destroyed Russia's cultural artistic heritage. It is a serious somewhat scholarly book; with perhaps too much detail for the casual reader; but it reads easily; without much technical language.
