Americana

For other uses, see Americana (disambiguation).

Liberty enlightening the world: the famous New York landmark, illustrated in an 1885 print by Currier and Ives

A baseball bat, apple pie and an American flag, a common representation of Americana

Americana refers to artifacts, or a collection of artifacts, related to the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States. Many kinds of material fall within the definition of Americana: paintings, prints and drawings; license plates or entire vehicles, household objects, tools and weapons; plaques and statues, and so on. Patriotism and nostalgia play a defining role in the subject. The things involved need not be old, but need to have the appropriate associations. The term may be used to describe the theme of a museum or collection, or of goods for sale.

The term can be used to describe studies of American culture - especially studies based in other countries. Americana music loosely encompasses American folk music and related genres.

See also

• American Studies
• American Studies in Britain
• Culture of the United States
• Ethos
• Canadiana – a similar concept in Canada
• Australiana – a similar concept in Australia
• Kiwiana – a similar concept in New Zealand