W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 2012 "What is the Best and Most Typical": Nostalgia, Transgression, and Capitalism at the Virginia State Fair, 1946-1976 Sarah Stanford-McIntyre College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons Recommended Citation Stanford-McIntyre, Sarah, ""What is the Best and Most Typical": Nostalgia, Transgression, and Capitalism at the Virginia State Fair, 1946-1976" (2012). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539626677. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-hx5j-6g94 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. “What is best and most typical” Nostalgia, Transgression, and Capitalism at the Virginia State Fair 1946-1976 Sarah Stanford-Mclntyre Amarillo, TX Bachelors of Arts, University of Texas at Austin, 2009 Thesis presented to the Graduate Faculty of the College of William and Mary in Candidacy for the Degree of Master of Arts American Studies Program The College of William and Mary May 2012 APPROVAL PAGE This Thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts A f\X x Sarah Stanford-Mclntyre Approved py the ffiorrymit/deTDecernber 2011 Committee Chair Tofessor Arthur Knight The College of William & Mary Processor Charlie McGovern The College of Wiliam & Mary L Professor Kara Thompson The College of Wiliam & Mary ABSTRACT PAGE In this thesis I contextualize the mid-twentieth century State Fair of Virginia as an event both steeped in local tradition and fundamentally affected by the national cultural and political climate.