Description
Enroll in a session led by Peter Bellis, Ph.D., specializing in English and American literature from Johns Hopkins University. In the mid-nineteenth century, today’s distinctions between high and low culture did not really exist—operas and freak shows could share the same stage. But after the civil war, a division began—between a vision of art as uplifting and one of entertainment as commerce. One example of that split is the creation of urban parks as “natural” green space (Central Park, Forest Park) in competition with amusement parks and fairs (Coney Island, the Midway, Six Flags). In this class, we’ll think about the differences between these forms and why they both still appeal to us.