Preserved: A Cultural History of the Funeral Home in America

by Dean G. Lampros

A spirited look at how funeral homes impacted American consumerism, the built environment, and national identities. Funeral homes―those grand, aging mansions repurposed into spaces for embalming, merchandising, funeral services, and housing for the funeral director and their family―are immediately recognizable features of the American landscape, and yet the history of how these spaces emerged remains largely untold. In Preserved , Dean Lampros uses the history of this uniquely American architectural icon to explore the twentieth century's expanding consumer landscape and reveal how buildings can help construct identities. Across the United States, Lampros traces the funeral industry's early twentieth-century exodus from gloomy downtown undertaking parlors to outmoded Victorian houses in residential districts. As savvy retailers and accidental preservationists, funeral directors refashioned the interiors into sumptuous retail settings that stimulated consumer demand for luxury burial goods. These spaces allowed for more privacy and more parking, and they helped turn Americans away from traditional home funerals toward funeral homes instead. Moreover, by moving into neighborhoods that were once the domain of white elites, African American funeral directors uplifted their industry and altered the landscape of white supremacy. The funeral home has tracked major changes in American culture, including an increased reliance on the automobile and the rise of consumer culture. Preserved offers an in-depth cultural history of a space that is both instantly familiar and largely misunderstood.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Death, Audiobook, Cultural, American History

384 pages, Hardcover

Published March 26, 2024

Reviews

[Summer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned some interesting tidbits but it took wading through over 300 pages to gain a few facts. Probably great for a research paper. Super dense, highly boring overall and very repetitive, like beating a dead horse. How much do you really need to say about zoning laws being established to keep residential funeral homes out of the neighborhood? A lot apparently and it was more than I was willing to read about. And so it went with various other topics. Would have been a great read with half the amount of pages.

[Marissa Lawton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was interesting and full of really good information but it was quite dry and read more like a textbook. Also, lots of repeating information so I feel it could have been condensed.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at cultural norms in America regarding funerals.

[Marc Latilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was purely for research. Rather read the Mitford book...

[V · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting content, but very dense and reads like a college textbook.

[Monica St. Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

fifty two book club challenge 2026: read a book whose title starts with the letter P