Jennifer Black

Jennifer M. Black is Associate Professor of History and Government at Misericordia University in Dallas, PA, where she teaches courses in US history, visual culture, American capitalism, women’s history, and public history.  She holds a PhD in American History and Visual Studies from the University of Southern California, as well as an MA in Public History and a BA in Art History, both from Western Michigan University.  Jennifer’s research examines ways in which people interact with images and objects, and the power of visual and material culture to influence trends in politics, the law, and society.  Her publications examine the intersection of culture and economics in the nineteenth century United States, turning specifically to material culture and advertising to uncover the commodification of sentiment, visual constructions of citizenship, the iconography of trademarks, and the market for memory-making.  Her work has appeared in Winterthur Portfolio, Journal of American Culture, Material Culture, and in several edited collections.  Jennifer’s current book project, “Branding Trust: Advertising and Trademarks in the US,” investigates the interaction between advertising professionals, manufacturers, and the public from the Panic of 1837 through World War I.  Tracing the simultaneous development of brand-centered advertising campaigns and trademark regulation, the manuscript relies heavily on material and visual culture sources.  Jennifer also serves as Network Editor In-Chief for H-Material Culture online, and is an active public historian: she recently co-curated Anthracite Photographers: Photographers of Anthracite for the State of Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Heritage Museum in Scranton, PA, and she is the author of Machines that Made History: Landmarks in Mechanical Engineering (ASME Press, 2014).  An active member of the BHC since 2013, Jennifer regularly attends BHC annual meetings, presenting her own research and serving as a moderator / paper comment for other panels.  She recently served on the BHC’s Emerging Scholars Committee from 2015-2018 (co-chair for 2017-18), where she was instrumental in organizing the “Networking Breakfast for Emerging Scholars.” She was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2020 and currently serves on the Electronic Media Oversight Committee.