The Children and Childhood Studies are of the Mid-Atlantic Popular and American Culture Association (MAPACA) is soliciting contributions for an online archive titled “American Childhood Culture in 25 Artifacts.”

We’re looking for any cultural production notable for its influence on American Childhood or that has been an important feature in the landscape of American Children’s Culture. These might include toys, documents, TV shows, movies, everyday items, books or magazines, art work, architecture, policy, electronics or electronic games, clothing, food items… They may come from any moment in American history. The collection will be permanently archived online at H-PCAACA (https://networks.h-net.org/h-pcaaca) least two weeks before the annual MAPACA conference in November (http://mapaca.net/) as the centerpiece of some (hopefully) lively pre-conference online discussion. It will coincide with a special roundtable at the conference featuring some of the contributors and curators of the collection.

To propose an artifact, please send an image of it and a 250-500 word explanation of the importance of the object to American Childhood to Patrick Cox at patrick.cox@rutgers.edu by October 17, 2014. Attending the conference is not required to have your object included in this collection. In fact, one of the aims of the online forum is to extend participation in the conference beyond those who able to travel and attend that weekend.