Nostalgia and heritage in the carousel city: Deindustrialization, critical memory, and the future

ABSTRACT Binghamton became the carousel city as part of a marketing campaign aimed at heritage tourism. The carousels were a gift from George F. Johnson, the Chief Executive Officer of Endicott–Johnson Corporation (EJ) during the twentieth century. They represent a material remnant of a prosperous, idealised past in a deindustrialized landscape. The welfare capitalism of Johnson and EJ dominate the nostalgic, collective memory of Binghamton. Archaeologists and heritage professionals are highly distrustful of the emotion of nostalgia and its sentimental, idealized images of the past. However, nostalgia can lead to critical reflection on the contemporary struggles deindustrialized communities face within capitalism and neoliberal relations. In Binghamton, nostalgia for the security and benefits offered through the Square Deal of George F. Johnson and EJ carries implicit and explicit criticism of contemporary conditions. Archaeologists need to take critical aspects of nostalgia seriously and build on insights from these memories in heritage programming.