Collective Witnessing

Abstract

Rural American estate auctions represent a compelling interplay of market capitalism and local ceremonies of entrepreneurship. Auctions operate to move used goods, converting them into commodities. Yet they also “move” people, emotionally and dramaturgically, via socially constructed ceremonies in which knowledgeable specialists transform commodities into valuables and, in turn, invest the circulation of these valuables with profound personal, historical, and geographical meanings. The public, collective witnessing of this circulation lies at the heart of auction ethos, exemplifying the creative and symbolically charged nature of a ubiquitous facet of American consumer culture. These issues are addressed with case materials from recent active participation ethnographic research on the auction and antiques trade in upstate New York.