Review by Choice Review
The Iowa State Fair is an iconic American event, with presidential candidates dependably appearing there. The fair celebrates not only agriculture and the rural lifestyle but also the overall culture of Iowa and the Midwest. Here, native Iowan and historian Rasmussen (Fairleigh Dickinson Univ.) examines the history of the fair and its significance over the years. Men who called themselves "agriculturalists," not necessarily farmers, founded it in 1854 to promote scientific agriculture and Iowa's economy. The event provided a venue for the exhibition of purebred livestock and farm machinery and, later, exemplary home arts such as canning and sewing. It was also envisioned as a means to promote the virtuous, hardworking rural lifestyle. The fair also included entertainments, which were popular but sometimes controversial. Originally, such entertainments were allowed only outside the fair's walls proper, hence the origin of the word sideshow. Less controversial night shows featured fireworks and portrayals of historic events and catastrophes. The book, part of the "Iowa and the Midwest Experience" series, provides substantial detail about the fair's history and politics. This well-written, lively work, valuable for its historical and cultural insights, should interest libraries collecting in US history and agriculture. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels. --Marit S. Taylor, University of Colorado Denver
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
