On November 29, a new series premiered on H2 (formerly the History Channel) called Museum Men. The show follows an exhibit design company in Florida called Creative Arts as they conceive, design and build museum exhibits. The first episode, which you can watch here, details their efforts to build an exhibit for a struggling St. Petersburg history museum around its 3000 year old mummy.
I was a little disappointed with the first episode in that it concentrated on fabricating replicas for the exhibit rather than anything regarding interpretation. However, it still illustrated the entire process of creating a museum exhibit from start to finish. The fact that the exhibit was about King Tut irked me a little bit as well. The mummy housed in the museum had nothing to do with him except that they are both ancient Egyptian mummies. All that is said about that in the episode is that "When the public thinks of mummies, they think of King Tut". I can't dispute that, but if the exhibit is on King Tut, then why put the actual mummy on display if she had nothing to do with him? Wouldn't it make more sense to do the exhibit specifically on her? Or, it could have been done on ancient Egyptian burial customs more generally. In the episode, it is briefly mentioned that the museum has fallen on hard times, so I can understand the desire to get visitors into the doors to raise money and that sometimes interpretation has to take a back seat to keeping the museum afloat.
That isn't to say that I disliked the show, however. I still found it entertaining and engaging. I understand that it's intended for a broad audience, not necessarily for public historians. The design team in the episode is shown talking with the museum director about what he wants the exhibit to do which I think is very true to what exhibit design is really like. They also do a terrific job of recreating King Tut's coffins and other objects with painstaking historical accuracy. This series is definitely worth checking out, especially for anyone interested in exhibit design.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
The Humble Cranberry
Cranberries are an interesting fruit. They are tangy but sweet and good in a variety of dishes. I personally love cranberries and want them in everything all the time, so it is just my luck that I am engaged to a man that is allergic to cranberries. Cranberries have a long history full of booms and busts. It is much more than the cranberry sauce that we serve beside the turkey (see previous blog).
Cranberries are native to North America and grow all over the continent; relatives of the plant grow all over the world. They grow in bogs and are harvested in September and October by flooding the bogs. When the bogs are flooded the ripe berries float to the top where they can be gathered and prepared for market. Throughout the 1800s many regions have had cranberry industries; New Jersey, Wisconsin, the Pacific Northwest and most recently Maine have all had a part in growing the crop. In the early 20th century Maine experienced a bust in the industry. A combination of lack of frost prevention, the spread of disease and lack of demand during World War One almost wiped out the Maine cranberry farmers. In recent decades cranberries have made a comeback. Many new cranberry farms have sprung up and are producing good product. Also, cranberries are widely known as a super fruit and are in all sorts of drinks all year round.
The humble cranberry is a fruit that has had a very dynamic history and continues to thrive in American culture. I would not think my Thanksgiving complete without some cranberry salad and some of my mom's Crimson Cranberry Bars. Cranberries are a traditional food for Thanksgiving and I hope they will continue to be a staple at our tables for decades to come.
http://umaine.edu/cranberries/cranberry-facts-and-history/
The Turkey
Every November we get together and eat a turkey for thanksgiving, mostly out of tradition, but what do we really know about the turkey? It is native to North America and Benjamin Franklin wanted it to be the national bird. Here are a few other fun facts about this large bird.
Fossils of ancient turkeys have been found all over the United States, from California to Virgina. The people of Mexico were the first to domesticate the bird and it is a staple in their cuisine. Instead of your traditional turkey why not try turkey moles from Oxaca, Mexico, which includes chocolate and pumpkin seeds, yum! Turkey was introduced in England in the 16 century and was considered an expensive delicacy for many years.
With the explosion of the turkey's popularity many farmers have begun to produce more and more. A popular breed is the Broad Breasted White which is able to produce more white meat then dark meat. Do you have a preference? They task the same to me. Now with the organic and farm to table movements under way farmers are trying to produce smaller and better birds. These birds are closer to the one that would have been running wild back before the Pilgrims arrived. Naturally these birds cost more then the popular Broad Breasted White but if you crave an authentic Thanksgiving then order one of these and break out your buckle hats!
Food traditions are as important to our culture as any other kind of tradition. Food is a way to express where we have been and where we are now. How many of us eat the same recipe every year, why, because it's a family recipe. Why will we eat the same kinds of foods every year, because that's they way we have always done it. Food is something that we partake in everyday but sometimes spend very little time thinking about. So, next time you go to take a bite of your left over turkey, think about why we eat the food that we do and why it is important.
Fossils of ancient turkeys have been found all over the United States, from California to Virgina. The people of Mexico were the first to domesticate the bird and it is a staple in their cuisine. Instead of your traditional turkey why not try turkey moles from Oxaca, Mexico, which includes chocolate and pumpkin seeds, yum! Turkey was introduced in England in the 16 century and was considered an expensive delicacy for many years.
With the explosion of the turkey's popularity many farmers have begun to produce more and more. A popular breed is the Broad Breasted White which is able to produce more white meat then dark meat. Do you have a preference? They task the same to me. Now with the organic and farm to table movements under way farmers are trying to produce smaller and better birds. These birds are closer to the one that would have been running wild back before the Pilgrims arrived. Naturally these birds cost more then the popular Broad Breasted White but if you crave an authentic Thanksgiving then order one of these and break out your buckle hats!
Food traditions are as important to our culture as any other kind of tradition. Food is a way to express where we have been and where we are now. How many of us eat the same recipe every year, why, because it's a family recipe. Why will we eat the same kinds of foods every year, because that's they way we have always done it. Food is something that we partake in everyday but sometimes spend very little time thinking about. So, next time you go to take a bite of your left over turkey, think about why we eat the food that we do and why it is important.
Dayton History Books Online
Dayton History Books Online is a Facebook page that I "like". The title is pretty much what the page is about, Dayton History online. I believe the man who started it sells Dayton History books at various book sales around the area. Today I saw an interesting post about none other than the Wright Brothers, hard to believe, right?
Here is the post:
"Orville Wright was born in the home shown here on 7 Hawthorne Street. The workshop, located at 1127 West Third Street was where the original Wright Flyer was conceived and built. In 1936 Henry Ford bought both buildings and the following year had them moved to Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford even took the dirt on which the house stood, leaving a hole in the ground that remained unfilled for years"
I had no idea that there was a hole in the ground after Henry Ford took the house to Greenfield Village. The posts on the Facebook page are usually like this one, short and to the point and there's always a picture or 2 to help tell the story.
The thing that I like about the Dayton History Books Online Facebook page is that it's not always about the city of Dayton. There have been posts about Miamisburg, Xenia, Fairborn, Bellbrook, etc. It's more like a Dayton area history page.
Of course my favorite posts are those that are of places and things I remember from my childhood. Just the other day there was a post about the Italian restaurant Dominic's which was on Main Street close to Miami Valley Hospital. It was very well known and of course gone now. I only had dinner there a few times and I remember it being very good. Rumor has it that the house Italian dressing could give you a heart attack or cause pregnant women to go into labor.
It's also a little sad to see some of the posts. Many times there are pictures, like the one above, of a gorgeous home or building that is now run down and looks like it could collapse at any minute. I think that's the worst part, seeing how great some of the Dayton areas used to be and now are poverty stricken and run down. But it's part of history and hopefully the history of the next generation will be to build those areas back up.
I think it's a great page to look at and I encourage everyone to "like" it. I mean, you never know when you'll have to write a blog or need research for a paper and something pops up on Facebook right in front of you!!
Here is the post:
"Orville Wright was born in the home shown here on 7 Hawthorne Street. The workshop, located at 1127 West Third Street was where the original Wright Flyer was conceived and built. In 1936 Henry Ford bought both buildings and the following year had them moved to Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford even took the dirt on which the house stood, leaving a hole in the ground that remained unfilled for years"
The thing that I like about the Dayton History Books Online Facebook page is that it's not always about the city of Dayton. There have been posts about Miamisburg, Xenia, Fairborn, Bellbrook, etc. It's more like a Dayton area history page.
Of course my favorite posts are those that are of places and things I remember from my childhood. Just the other day there was a post about the Italian restaurant Dominic's which was on Main Street close to Miami Valley Hospital. It was very well known and of course gone now. I only had dinner there a few times and I remember it being very good. Rumor has it that the house Italian dressing could give you a heart attack or cause pregnant women to go into labor.
It's also a little sad to see some of the posts. Many times there are pictures, like the one above, of a gorgeous home or building that is now run down and looks like it could collapse at any minute. I think that's the worst part, seeing how great some of the Dayton areas used to be and now are poverty stricken and run down. But it's part of history and hopefully the history of the next generation will be to build those areas back up.
I think it's a great page to look at and I encourage everyone to "like" it. I mean, you never know when you'll have to write a blog or need research for a paper and something pops up on Facebook right in front of you!!
WSU Mission Statment
While I was perusing the Wright State website I came across their mission statement. The Wright State mission statement simply states: We transform the lives of our students and communities we serve. That's it, that's Wright State's mission - to transform our lives and the the community around us. Isn't that our goal when we get out of the public history program, to transform the lives of our museum and/or archive visitors/students? And while transforming the lives of the patrons of our museums, we would in turn be transforming the communities our museum serves? That's my goal, my mission when I graduate, in 2016ish, more like 2017 most likely, but that's not the point. The point is, for me and my goals, I am on the same page as Wright State. Wright State is going to put us on a path of success, I can feel it. I've worked a long time in boring, unfulfilling positions and I have never been that excited to go to work. I'm thrilled to be in graduate school, I'm thrilled to be studying something that excites me and something that I actually like. I love Monday and Thursday evenings because those are my class nights. I can't wait to graduate and start a new career, a new chapter in this book of life. The possibilities are endless if we put our minds to it and are open to change. I'm excited about the challenges that lie ahead of me; the first few years after graduation will be learning how to apply what we've learned (and will learn) in graduate school to our daily tasks at work and hopefully we can start transforming lives as soon as we graduate. I don't know where I will end up or where I will even start to look for a job when the time comes, but I know that I've never been more excited about the future as I am now. I know for sure that Wright State's mission has been fulfilled in me, I have definitely been transformed since starting taking graduate classes!
Where Did All the Art Go?
There are some pieces of art that are very precious and well protected. Then there is are that is frequently stolen, and then there is art that is well protect because it is frequently stolen. According to and article by The Guardian, there are 35,000 items in Interpol's stolen art database. There are piece that have been stolen so many times they have a reputation for going missing. One is The Horses of St. Mark. These are four bronze horses which all have one front leg raised. It is believed that these horses where made by the Greek sculptor Lysuppis who worked for Alexander the Great. They were stolen for the first recorded time around 330 AD from "somewhere in Greece" by Constantine. This large piece was stolen at least two more times before its current resting place at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice. It is important to point out that these horses were never stolen by in independent thief they were always taken in conquest by another group. Which would make sense because the only way you can get these life size horses from one place to another is in a large wagon, and there is no way that they will not be noticed.
A more modern theft took place in May of 2010 when a burglar broke into the Musee d'Art Moderne in Paris and stole five paintings right out of their frames. One of the paintings was a work from Picasso's cubist period. The thief is called Spiderman but what he pulled off is only the work of a super villain. He evaded 30 CCTV cameras, sleeping guards and a faulty alarm system. Three men where apprehended by the French police and one said that the paintings had been crush in a garbage truck. The current location of the painting is unknown.
These and several other pieces have been stolen, re-stolen and in some cases gone forever. That is why it is of the utmost importance that museums hire the best security they can afford. Especially if they contain art. Art is a curious thing, people make them, fond over them and use them for political and monetary gain. It is strange to me that people don't look at a piece of art and see something pleasing or historically significant, all they see are power and dollar signs.
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/nov/13/10-most-notorious-looted-artworks-nazis-napoleon
A more modern theft took place in May of 2010 when a burglar broke into the Musee d'Art Moderne in Paris and stole five paintings right out of their frames. One of the paintings was a work from Picasso's cubist period. The thief is called Spiderman but what he pulled off is only the work of a super villain. He evaded 30 CCTV cameras, sleeping guards and a faulty alarm system. Three men where apprehended by the French police and one said that the paintings had been crush in a garbage truck. The current location of the painting is unknown.
These and several other pieces have been stolen, re-stolen and in some cases gone forever. That is why it is of the utmost importance that museums hire the best security they can afford. Especially if they contain art. Art is a curious thing, people make them, fond over them and use them for political and monetary gain. It is strange to me that people don't look at a piece of art and see something pleasing or historically significant, all they see are power and dollar signs.
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/nov/13/10-most-notorious-looted-artworks-nazis-napoleon
Monday, November 24, 2014
And now... the rest of the story
The Princess and the Pea, Thumbelina, The Snow Queen (which was the inspiration for Frozen) and my personal favorite, the Little Mermaid are just a few of the works by Hans Christian Andersen. Of course the versions of his stories that Disney tells are very much changed for their original material. The stories written by this Danish author often had a morbid twist to them in comparison to the stories we know. For example, The Little Mermaid is originally a tail of a mermaid who is 15 years old and saved a prince from his sinking ship. The mermaid makes a deal with a sea witch for a potion to turn her human in exchange for her tongue, (which can be magically returned at sunrise). The position grants her legs, however when she step she feels like she is stepping on sharp knives.(which brings a whole new light to the fact the Ariel couldn't walk at first) She meets the prince who is enchanted by the mermaid's beauty and dancing. However, the king orders the prince to marry a princess from a neighboring kingdom. At first the prince refuses because he will only marry the girl who saved him from drowning. On looking at the princess he believes that she is the girl who saved him. He falls in love with her and marries her. The mermaid is in despair since the spell that gave her legs will kill her if she does not marry the prince. However, the mermaid's sisters bring her a knife from the sea witch and tell her that if she kills the prince and lets his blood drip on her feet she will become a mermaid again and live. (wow Disney left that part out) The mermaid cannot bring herself to kill the prince and so throws herself into the sea and her body disintegrates into sea foam. Instead of not existing, like the sea witch told her, she becomes a spirit who can do good deeds and earn a human soul which will eventually be brought into the kingdom of God.
Well, that was certainly not the same story that I knew. Not only does this prove that Disney intentionally changes stories but that stories in general change over time. Like a game of telephone, every time a story is told it changes a little. Some stories change until we have something completely different then when we started. As historians it is always important to consult source material. Especially when presenting something to the public. For example, if some wanted to do an exhibit on The Little Mermaid or other Andersen stories they cannot simply rely on the Disney version. The exhibit development team needs to look at the source materials to get the true meaning of a story. So, the rest of the story is...always check the source material.
Well, that was certainly not the same story that I knew. Not only does this prove that Disney intentionally changes stories but that stories in general change over time. Like a game of telephone, every time a story is told it changes a little. Some stories change until we have something completely different then when we started. As historians it is always important to consult source material. Especially when presenting something to the public. For example, if some wanted to do an exhibit on The Little Mermaid or other Andersen stories they cannot simply rely on the Disney version. The exhibit development team needs to look at the source materials to get the true meaning of a story. So, the rest of the story is...always check the source material.
Temples of Delight
According to The Economist, museums have entered a new golden age. Museum visits have been on the rise the past few years. The Economist attributes this to the rise in higher education, and that those who have a higher education are more likely to go to museums. Also, there are new museums popping up all over the world, and with various subjects. Museums around the world cover the histories of; Bananas, Bread, Broken Relationships, Bunnies, Dog Collars, toilets and (for Kathleen) Holy Souls in Purgatory.
What is the most interesting is that there is a change in museums in the way they interact with the public. Many museums now offer activities like sleep overs, discussion and other family events. Some would think that it is a bad idea to simply entertain visitors, but it can be good to entertain your guests. If someone were walking into your home and they were bored wouldn't you want to entertain them? Well, this is the same concept with a museum. When a patron enters your institution you want them to feel welcomed and engaged, not bored and wanting to leave. The more we can do to create an interactive, and yes entertaining environment, the longer museums will survive.
The Economist calls the new museums Temples of Delight, and that's the kind of image we should be putting out to the public. And isn't that what got us into this business in the first place? We went to a museum and said 'yeah I could do this forever.' Shouldn't we share that enthusiasm with the public and make it clear that we love this stuff and they should too?
The good news is The Economist sees this rise as lasting a few years so if we can get into the field and keep this momentum going we could witness a new age of museums. An age wear they come out from under the shadow of stuffy old ladies scowling at children and into an age of positive publicity and museums being seen as places of fun and engagement. Besides no one wants to work at a place where they don't have fun every once and while. So, why should we settle for an institution that puts that boring image to the public? If we don't make museums fun for our patrons then they won't come back.
http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21591707-museums-world-over-are-doing-amazingly-well-says-fiammetta-rocco-can-they-keep
What is the most interesting is that there is a change in museums in the way they interact with the public. Many museums now offer activities like sleep overs, discussion and other family events. Some would think that it is a bad idea to simply entertain visitors, but it can be good to entertain your guests. If someone were walking into your home and they were bored wouldn't you want to entertain them? Well, this is the same concept with a museum. When a patron enters your institution you want them to feel welcomed and engaged, not bored and wanting to leave. The more we can do to create an interactive, and yes entertaining environment, the longer museums will survive.
The Economist calls the new museums Temples of Delight, and that's the kind of image we should be putting out to the public. And isn't that what got us into this business in the first place? We went to a museum and said 'yeah I could do this forever.' Shouldn't we share that enthusiasm with the public and make it clear that we love this stuff and they should too?
The good news is The Economist sees this rise as lasting a few years so if we can get into the field and keep this momentum going we could witness a new age of museums. An age wear they come out from under the shadow of stuffy old ladies scowling at children and into an age of positive publicity and museums being seen as places of fun and engagement. Besides no one wants to work at a place where they don't have fun every once and while. So, why should we settle for an institution that puts that boring image to the public? If we don't make museums fun for our patrons then they won't come back.
http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21591707-museums-world-over-are-doing-amazingly-well-says-fiammetta-rocco-can-they-keep
Old Nebraska Home Holds Family's Long History - http://siouxcityjournal.com/ap/state/old-nebraska-home-holds-family-s-long-history/article_562d9f3e-cc23-5983-adad-36cbe72cd22d.html
This is one of the posts of the Nebraska State Historical Society Facebook page. After reading the article I came up with a few items to ponder about that house, about a neighbor's house and those dwellings of my ancestors. The story tells about the history of the house of Frederick Planer who built the home for his growing family in 1885. The writer takes the house from original owner to the last person to live in the home. The last person living in the house moved to a new abode abandoning the original house. It seems strange to me that not one person went back to the 'old house' to pack away and store the belongings. How did the last owner get to the new place? This person must have had some help to move to the new location, so why did they not get in contact with family members to properly close up the house. Even the grandchild who the article is about took more than thirty years to return to the house, why did he not return to it before he left the area in 1984? They may have been able to save the house and retrieve more items if someone had been there ten years before.
The opposite happened to a neighbor of my parents. The owner passed away and the children were left to clean up and ready the house for sale. Unfortunately some of the children 'hired some people' to clean up the house. What happened next was shocking to me. These people just tossed items out to the curb like trash underneath some trees which were at the street end of the driveway. Nothing was in boxes. They had placed a chair, silverware, framed pictures and linens out in the open. When spouse of one of the children came by, they were upset that this could happen. They intervened and finished cleaning out the home. While going through the items that were tossed under the trees, family items were found and saved. They were lucky that this had just happened and was not there for days on end.
House research is next on my genealogy to do list. I want to find out more about a house that was torn down to build a new school. I also to find out more about the farms of my ancestors.
Nazi Art
This Morning an article on nbc,com caught my eye, it said, "Bern Art Museum: 'We will not touch looted Art." The Bern Art Museum is in Bern Switzerland and there was an issue with the museum being the soul heir of the son of Hitler's art dealer, Cornelius Gurlitt. The collection was first discovered in 2012 in an investigation pertaining to tax evasion but it was not publicly announced until recently. When the collection came to the museum it was in poor condition, according to BBC news who also published an article on their website this morning. The BBC also said that the paintings had been housed in a barn basement and some were in very poor condition and may need to be restored. The problem however is that the museum has only agreed to shelter the collection, not to accession it. on nbc.com a spokesman for the museum says, "Looted art and art which has suspected of being looted will not be touched by the Bern Museum. ... They would be absolutely inappropriate in light of the art collection's history."
The collection includes pieces by Monet, Picasso, Renoir and many others. It is kept in an undisclosed location while the Bern Museum tries to locate the owners, but as the BBC reporter said it is a legal nightmare. on top of the obvious, one of Gurlitt's cousins is questioning his soundness of mind when he wrote his will. How is the museum supposed to track down the owners of art which have been in Nazi possession for years? Even if the correct owner could be found they are most likely dead by now and then who gets the art? I will attach the sources below. How long do you think finding the rightful owners is going to take? Is this a task that can ever truly be completed? And if no rightful owner can be located should the museum accession it into its own collection?
NBC video
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/bern-art-musuem-we-will-not-touch-looted-art-n254821
BBC article
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30176190
The collection includes pieces by Monet, Picasso, Renoir and many others. It is kept in an undisclosed location while the Bern Museum tries to locate the owners, but as the BBC reporter said it is a legal nightmare. on top of the obvious, one of Gurlitt's cousins is questioning his soundness of mind when he wrote his will. How is the museum supposed to track down the owners of art which have been in Nazi possession for years? Even if the correct owner could be found they are most likely dead by now and then who gets the art? I will attach the sources below. How long do you think finding the rightful owners is going to take? Is this a task that can ever truly be completed? And if no rightful owner can be located should the museum accession it into its own collection?
NBC video
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/bern-art-musuem-we-will-not-touch-looted-art-n254821
BBC article
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30176190
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Piece of Earhart's Plane Now Confirmed
Ameilia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan set out in 1937 to circumnavigate the globe in a Lockheed Electra aircraft. They took off from Lae, New Guinea to make one of their last legs of the trip to Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean. This leg of the trip was about as long as a flight across the continental US, but they never made it to Howland Island. Huge search and rescue operations were conducted by air and by sea, but no evidence was found. Over the years there has been much speculation as to what happened to Earhart and her navigator, but most assumed that they crashed out at sea and perished.
But in 1991 a scrap piece of aluminum was found on the tiny, uninhabited atoll of Nikumaroro. The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) has been investigating this case since 1989 and recently focused the research on this piece of aluminum. When compared to photos of Earhart's aircraft, it appears that the piece is a metal patch that covered one of the rear navigational windows on the plane.
Researchers and experts have commented that the patch and its rivet pattern is "as unique to [Earhart's] particular aircraft as a fingerprint is to an individual." The theory now is that Earhart and Noonan made a forced landing on the tiny atoll and may or may not have lived there for a period of time before they both died. There was a large and expensive expedition planned for this past Fall, but due to lack of funding it had to be postponed and scaled down. TIGHAR plans to conduct a more modest expedition by land, air and sea in June 2015. I guess we will have to stay tuned! And maybe, eventually, Malaysia Flight 370 will have some kind of breakthrough like this. I hate stories without endings, but I suppose that is just part of being a human and something I will have to deal with as an historian.
http://www.history.com/news/researchers-identify-fragment-of-amelia-earharts-plane
But in 1991 a scrap piece of aluminum was found on the tiny, uninhabited atoll of Nikumaroro. The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) has been investigating this case since 1989 and recently focused the research on this piece of aluminum. When compared to photos of Earhart's aircraft, it appears that the piece is a metal patch that covered one of the rear navigational windows on the plane.
Researchers and experts have commented that the patch and its rivet pattern is "as unique to [Earhart's] particular aircraft as a fingerprint is to an individual." The theory now is that Earhart and Noonan made a forced landing on the tiny atoll and may or may not have lived there for a period of time before they both died. There was a large and expensive expedition planned for this past Fall, but due to lack of funding it had to be postponed and scaled down. TIGHAR plans to conduct a more modest expedition by land, air and sea in June 2015. I guess we will have to stay tuned! And maybe, eventually, Malaysia Flight 370 will have some kind of breakthrough like this. I hate stories without endings, but I suppose that is just part of being a human and something I will have to deal with as an historian.
http://www.history.com/news/researchers-identify-fragment-of-amelia-earharts-plane
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Weird Classes You Can Actually Take
Recently there have been courses on college campuses that have really odd subjects but still count for credit. For example at University of Texas at Austin you can take, Invented Languages: Klingon and Beyond. This is the course description.
You don’t have to be a sci-fi nerd to appreciate the subject matter in
this course at the U of Texas focusing on the reasons, rules and social
realities of created languages. Then there is this gem at the University of California at Irvine, The Science of Superheroes: While it might sound like fun and games, this course takes superheroes
as a means to teach students real lessons about physics. After scratching my head for a while I wondered how those classes would work out. It could be just a really good trick to get students excited about a subject they might not other wise be interested in.
This could turn out to be an exciting tool to get people interested in history and bring it life for them in the classroom. So under the subject of history, some universities offer these classes. At Oneonta College, European Witchcraft: While so-called witches are still around today, you can learn about the origins of what people thought were witches and the often extreme and illogical measures they took to get rid of them. This one is for the Pirates of the Caribbean fans, Age of Piracy, at Arizona State; Johnny Depp’s kooky but sexy Jack Sparrow has gotten many students interested in learning more about the pirating arts, and this course offers them the chance to take a look at the much less appealing, real-life lives of pirates. Classes like these could spark an interest in history and the covering of fun popular subjects could be just the thing the museum profession needs to get more people in the door. If a student is doing a history paper and actually has fun doing it, they may look into history as a career.
These classes may sound weird and dumb but if there is actual learning taking place then why not embrace it and hope it produces more historians.
http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2009/10/100-hilarious-college-courses-that-really-exist/
As a side note there was an article about how Thor's hammer is actually real science. http://www.wired.com/2014/11/can-hulk-lift-thors-hammer/
How many people now the name of Thor's hammer?
This could turn out to be an exciting tool to get people interested in history and bring it life for them in the classroom. So under the subject of history, some universities offer these classes. At Oneonta College, European Witchcraft: While so-called witches are still around today, you can learn about the origins of what people thought were witches and the often extreme and illogical measures they took to get rid of them. This one is for the Pirates of the Caribbean fans, Age of Piracy, at Arizona State; Johnny Depp’s kooky but sexy Jack Sparrow has gotten many students interested in learning more about the pirating arts, and this course offers them the chance to take a look at the much less appealing, real-life lives of pirates. Classes like these could spark an interest in history and the covering of fun popular subjects could be just the thing the museum profession needs to get more people in the door. If a student is doing a history paper and actually has fun doing it, they may look into history as a career.
These classes may sound weird and dumb but if there is actual learning taking place then why not embrace it and hope it produces more historians.
http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2009/10/100-hilarious-college-courses-that-really-exist/
As a side note there was an article about how Thor's hammer is actually real science. http://www.wired.com/2014/11/can-hulk-lift-thors-hammer/
How many people now the name of Thor's hammer?
The Barnes... how it ended.
In museums class we all saw the film called "The Art of the Steal." This film chronicled what happened to The Barnes Foundation Collection. Well, this is what happened when the building opened. First of all this article is from the Philadelphia Inquirer and so I had their history in mind when reading this article. This article was written in May of 2012 by Peter Dobrin who is the Culture writer for the Inquirer, so I was surprised when Dobrin wrote, "Gone forever, of course, is any claim to authenticity. Whatever the Barnes of 2012 and beyond becomes, visitors will never again have the same fully prescribed experience, the powerful feeling of being led around the museum by the hand of its founder." I would have thought that a writer from the Inquirer would have made glowing review of the transformation of the Barnes from a lowly outcast foundation to the crown jewel of the Philadelphia downtown. Dorbin goes on to say that he used to enjoy living in a city that stated true to its roots and kept the new buildings at bey, now he lives in a place that is all skyscrapers.
Dorbin really has a sense of place, not only for himself but for this collection of art. There are pictures that show an attempt to bring the character of the Barnes into the museums, with a few hinges on the walls where they would have been in the original building. But there is clearly not the same charm or originality that there was when the school was in operation. Dorbin uses the disappearing of the old buildings to illustrate his underlying frustration about his changing city and how there will come a time when people will only know Philadelphia as it is now and not as it once was. Dorbin closes his article with "you'll hear one art lover saying to another while moving among an incomparable -if measurably less quirky- collection of Cezannes and Renoirs on the Parkway: 'The Barnes used to be in Merion? Really?" Because one day this whole thing will be under the rug, forgotten, and no one will know the difference.
http://articles.philly.com/2012-05-21/news/31789070_1_barnes-move-barnes-foundation-albert-c-barnes
Dorbin really has a sense of place, not only for himself but for this collection of art. There are pictures that show an attempt to bring the character of the Barnes into the museums, with a few hinges on the walls where they would have been in the original building. But there is clearly not the same charm or originality that there was when the school was in operation. Dorbin uses the disappearing of the old buildings to illustrate his underlying frustration about his changing city and how there will come a time when people will only know Philadelphia as it is now and not as it once was. Dorbin closes his article with "you'll hear one art lover saying to another while moving among an incomparable -if measurably less quirky- collection of Cezannes and Renoirs on the Parkway: 'The Barnes used to be in Merion? Really?" Because one day this whole thing will be under the rug, forgotten, and no one will know the difference.
http://articles.philly.com/2012-05-21/news/31789070_1_barnes-move-barnes-foundation-albert-c-barnes
Mmmm...Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkins are about as American as a vegetable can be. They were first cultivated in Central America around 5500 BC and were one of the first cultivated vegetables to make it to Europe. The first mention of a pumpkin was in 1536 and within a few decades they were widely known. They were originally called pompon which is a French term that was used to describe their round nature. In England the word transformed into "pumpions."
When the pilgrims first landed at Plymouth they knew as much about pumpkins as the native Wampanoag. It is likely that during the three day feast we call "The First Thanksgiving" pumpkin was on the table in some form. As New England's new settlers prospered, other crops were available and they began putting apples and pears in pies instead of pumpkin.
Some recipes for pie in the 1670s called for pumpkins and apples to be baked together and flavored with rosemary and thyme. There was even an early New England recipe that called for cooking a hollowed-out pumpkin with sweetened and spiced milk directly in a fire. This apparently came from an English recipe that called for apples to also be placed in the pumpkin.
Pumpkins then went on to have more political roles in America. Yes, politics and pumpkins. Many of the staunchest abolitionists were from New England and they incorporated their favorite dessert into poems, songs, and novels. When Thanksgiving became a national holiday, Southerners were angry that the North was trying to shove its Yankee customs and desserts down their throats along with their abolitionist ways.
So pumpkin pies have always held a special place at the Thanksgiving table. And they should; they're delicious. Mmmmmm....pumpkin.
When the pilgrims first landed at Plymouth they knew as much about pumpkins as the native Wampanoag. It is likely that during the three day feast we call "The First Thanksgiving" pumpkin was on the table in some form. As New England's new settlers prospered, other crops were available and they began putting apples and pears in pies instead of pumpkin.
Some recipes for pie in the 1670s called for pumpkins and apples to be baked together and flavored with rosemary and thyme. There was even an early New England recipe that called for cooking a hollowed-out pumpkin with sweetened and spiced milk directly in a fire. This apparently came from an English recipe that called for apples to also be placed in the pumpkin.
*heavy breathing*
Pumpkins then went on to have more political roles in America. Yes, politics and pumpkins. Many of the staunchest abolitionists were from New England and they incorporated their favorite dessert into poems, songs, and novels. When Thanksgiving became a national holiday, Southerners were angry that the North was trying to shove its Yankee customs and desserts down their throats along with their abolitionist ways.
So pumpkin pies have always held a special place at the Thanksgiving table. And they should; they're delicious. Mmmmmm....pumpkin.
Guys, I'm writing about the history of the word 'guy'
As a linguistic nerd, I greatly enjoy learning about the history of words in the English language. And I thought that maybe you guys would also like a little linguistic history lesson on the word "guy." We use the word "guy" an absurd amount in this day and age. Just look at how many times I have already used it. Ridiculous. But what a great word!
The history of the word guy goes back to Guy Fawkes. Remember, remember that guy? (see what I did there?) He tried to blow up King James I in 1605 and with his failure came an, seemingly eternal, annual mocking in England that has now transferred across the pond with the popularity of the movie "V for Vendetta." Effigies of Fawkes are set ablaze every year on the fifth day of November and paraded through the streets in celebration. This tradition began almost immediately after the failed "gunpowder plot" and the term "guy" entered the British slang lexicon. Even during Fawkes' time the name Guy was weird; it was French and nobody in England would be caught with a French name.
The history of the word guy goes back to Guy Fawkes. Remember, remember that guy? (see what I did there?) He tried to blow up King James I in 1605 and with his failure came an, seemingly eternal, annual mocking in England that has now transferred across the pond with the popularity of the movie "V for Vendetta." Effigies of Fawkes are set ablaze every year on the fifth day of November and paraded through the streets in celebration. This tradition began almost immediately after the failed "gunpowder plot" and the term "guy" entered the British slang lexicon. Even during Fawkes' time the name Guy was weird; it was French and nobody in England would be caught with a French name.
It was initially used as a term for a poorly dressed man, but then came to be used to describe any man, regardless of his wardrobe. By the early 1930s, Americans began using the term for a person of either gender. Linguists have studied the word guy and how its usage has changed over time. It has a very strange usage if you think about it: "Consider this: I might address a group of female co-workers as “guys,” as in “hey guys.” But if I were describing the encounter later, I’d never say “Oh yeah, I said ‘hi’ to some guys from the newsroom.” Guys is only friendly, only gender-neutral, when we’re speaking directly to the “guy” himself."
And since the 1980s it has been used "as almost a suffix to you to suggest friendliness, camaraderie, informality." And this is where its current usage stems from. Guys is now used on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media outlets as a prefix that denotes joking, self-deprecation, or irony. An example from Twitter: @danielleu said, "Guys. Stop making Ebola jokes. That's exactly how you get Ebola."
Guys, I can't even. #relevant #basic
Check out the article from the Washington Post, you guys!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2014/10/24/an-unnecessarily-long-and-surprisingly-fascinating-history-of-guys/
Hobbits, for real.
Ten years ago archaeologists uncovered the bones of an extremely small hominid in a cave on the island of Flores in Indonesia. They initially believed that it was the skeleton of a child, but upon further research it was determined to be a very small adult. It only stood three feet tall and it's brain would have been the size of an orange. It's scientific name is Homo floresiensis, but was quickly nicknamed the "Hobbit." Since the initial discovery, more Hobbit skeletons have been found in the cave.
Hobbit skull next to modern human skull.
There have been many theories since the discovery in 2004 as to how the creature came to be and where it fits in with other hominids. Dating shows that the skeleton is from 18,000 years ago. That means that the Hobbit was living during the same time as modern humans. Some experts think that the Hobbit is just a human with some kind of disease, defect, or a condition like dwarfism or Down syndrome. But there are skeletal features that are unlike any modern human; it has more primitive bone structures.
Some evolutionary biologists believe that the Hobbit could have once been part of Homo erectus which had made its way to Southeast Asia and then became stranded in Indonesia. There is a process called "island dwarfism" that can occur. Animals that are isolated in certain island conditions can evolve to be smaller so that they expend less energy living in the harsh environment. Is this why the Hobbit is so small?
There are lots of theories about how it came to be and how it got to a remote island, but no answers on the Hobbit yet. The Hobbit raises a lot of questions about human evolution and migration out of Africa that evolutionary biologists had never considered before.
Hobbit skull next to modern human skull.
There have been many theories since the discovery in 2004 as to how the creature came to be and where it fits in with other hominids. Dating shows that the skeleton is from 18,000 years ago. That means that the Hobbit was living during the same time as modern humans. Some experts think that the Hobbit is just a human with some kind of disease, defect, or a condition like dwarfism or Down syndrome. But there are skeletal features that are unlike any modern human; it has more primitive bone structures.
Some evolutionary biologists believe that the Hobbit could have once been part of Homo erectus which had made its way to Southeast Asia and then became stranded in Indonesia. There is a process called "island dwarfism" that can occur. Animals that are isolated in certain island conditions can evolve to be smaller so that they expend less energy living in the harsh environment. Is this why the Hobbit is so small?
There are lots of theories about how it came to be and how it got to a remote island, but no answers on the Hobbit yet. The Hobbit raises a lot of questions about human evolution and migration out of Africa that evolutionary biologists had never considered before.
Old George and his "Wooden" Teeth
We all have heard the tale that George Washington had dentures made of wood. And I am sure most of us have figured out by this time that that story is a falsehood. Why would he have wooden teeth when better technology and materials were available? As a result of bad genetics and horrible dental care in his time Washington became the first President of the United States with only a single tooth in that big ol' head of his. Apparently is was a premolar. Premolars are located between the canine teeth and the molars.
Dentures in the late 18th century could be made from combinations of lead, gold, human teeth, elephant ivory, hippo ivory, and bone, among other things. George's only complete set of dentures is housed at the Smithsonian. They are made from lead, human teeth, cow teeth, and elephant ivory. Yuuuuck. Could you imagine having metal in your mouth constantly? And not clean, sterile, tasteless metal like is used for braces today. It would taste like you had a mouthful of coins. Nasty.
Here's a pic!
Dentures in the late 18th century could be made from combinations of lead, gold, human teeth, elephant ivory, hippo ivory, and bone, among other things. George's only complete set of dentures is housed at the Smithsonian. They are made from lead, human teeth, cow teeth, and elephant ivory. Yuuuuck. Could you imagine having metal in your mouth constantly? And not clean, sterile, tasteless metal like is used for braces today. It would taste like you had a mouthful of coins. Nasty.
Here's a pic!
But it was important for him to look his best. He was the president of the world's newest country after all. One must look presidential at all times. Apparently the whole "wooden teeth" story got its start because ivory has a very fine grain and he loved his red wine. This stained the grain of the faux teeth and made it look like they were wooden from far away.
There is also a report of George buying 9 human teeth from African Americans. He wasn't the only one though. The purchase of human teeth in the 18th century was common among affluent folks. I am very happy with the dental practices available in our century.
Endangered Beers and Yeast Archives
Yes, I am writing about beer again. I find it interesting, okay! Beer is science, history, and booze rolled into one. What's not to like?
Steps in beer brewing:
1. Boil your grains and hops.
2. Cool the resulting hot liquid (wort) and add yeast at a strain-specific temperature.
3. Ferment! Let those little yeasties do their job!
4. Bottle and age.
5. Drink that beer!
The most important step in the process is the addition of the yeast. Yeast is what makes the beer bubbly and alcoholic. Specific yeasts impart different flavors on the beer and also determines what kind of beer is being brewed. There is a yeast archive in England. Yes, a yeast archive. It is called the National Collection of Yeast Cultures and it houses more than 4,000 strains of yeast. Of the 4,000, 800 are brewer's yeasts. This laboratory archive has been collecting and preserving yeasts for more than 65 years. They use the latest technology to duplicate and freeze yeast strains. The other types of yeast stored here used for baking, scientific research, medicine, and industry.
The article I read about this marvelous archive illustrates an old brewery in England's lake district that makes a specific type of old ale. The brewery was destroyed by ten feet of water. The yeast, the thing that made their ales special, had drowned. But luckily, they had taken a strain of their yeast to the NCYC and had it stored in case of an emergency. The archive even duplicates the yeast samples they are given so they have a backup of the brewer's backup. A lot of these yeast samples are open to the public for purchase so brewers and scientists have access to the strains of yeast housed there.
This system is kind of an offshoot of Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway. This seed vault stores and preserves seeds from every plant on Earth. This acts as insurance for humankind in case crops are destroyed by you-name-it. The yeast samples have been used by brewers to recreate beers that haven't been produced since the 1940s and even ancient beer brewed by the Incas. Yeast can act as an "emissary from the past" and let today's beer drinkers experience history in a way they never have before. The fact that we are able to drink history amazes me.
So, everybody go out and have a pint of something historic!
(http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/05/theres-a-safety-deposit-box-for-the-yeast-that-makes-your-beer/371876/)
Steps in beer brewing:
1. Boil your grains and hops.
2. Cool the resulting hot liquid (wort) and add yeast at a strain-specific temperature.
3. Ferment! Let those little yeasties do their job!
4. Bottle and age.
5. Drink that beer!
The most important step in the process is the addition of the yeast. Yeast is what makes the beer bubbly and alcoholic. Specific yeasts impart different flavors on the beer and also determines what kind of beer is being brewed. There is a yeast archive in England. Yes, a yeast archive. It is called the National Collection of Yeast Cultures and it houses more than 4,000 strains of yeast. Of the 4,000, 800 are brewer's yeasts. This laboratory archive has been collecting and preserving yeasts for more than 65 years. They use the latest technology to duplicate and freeze yeast strains. The other types of yeast stored here used for baking, scientific research, medicine, and industry.
The article I read about this marvelous archive illustrates an old brewery in England's lake district that makes a specific type of old ale. The brewery was destroyed by ten feet of water. The yeast, the thing that made their ales special, had drowned. But luckily, they had taken a strain of their yeast to the NCYC and had it stored in case of an emergency. The archive even duplicates the yeast samples they are given so they have a backup of the brewer's backup. A lot of these yeast samples are open to the public for purchase so brewers and scientists have access to the strains of yeast housed there.
This system is kind of an offshoot of Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway. This seed vault stores and preserves seeds from every plant on Earth. This acts as insurance for humankind in case crops are destroyed by you-name-it. The yeast samples have been used by brewers to recreate beers that haven't been produced since the 1940s and even ancient beer brewed by the Incas. Yeast can act as an "emissary from the past" and let today's beer drinkers experience history in a way they never have before. The fact that we are able to drink history amazes me.
So, everybody go out and have a pint of something historic!
(http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/05/theres-a-safety-deposit-box-for-the-yeast-that-makes-your-beer/371876/)
American Brew Tradition
Beer. I never really liked it, until I started trying styles that didn't taste like a nasty slice of bread mixed with water (these were commonly available at every house party known to man in undergrad, as everyone knows.) Historians credit beer for the rise of human civilization as we know it. Fresh water was available to humans at the beginning of our time on planet Earth, but when populations grew there was not enough to go around or it had been dirtied because humans are gross. Beer helped sustain larger human populations in compact areas because the fermentation process made the beverage safe to drink. No pesky barf-inducing microbes here! (Unless, they drank too much beer, that is.)
One might say that beer still sustains human civilization. We don't need it anymore, but as a culture we need it. Americans enjoy their beer, but until recently there have been very few beer types available to the American consumer. In 1873 there were more than 4,000 breweries in the States. 4,000!! German brewers started manufacturing lighter-tasting lagers and Americans enjoyed these lagers. In the years leading up to WWI a lot of breweries began to consolidate and smaller breweries started to disappear. By 1918, only 1,000 breweries remained. Then Prohibition began.
Even though Prohibition had hit the American brewers hard, about 700 breweries were back in business in 1933 when Prohibition was repealed. The larger breweries took over the market through their quest for expansion and their superior marketing campaigns and drove small breweries into the ground. By 1950 there were only 407 breweries, and this number dropped to 230 just eleven years later. By 1983 there were only 80 breweries in the United States and only 51 of those was independently run. And most produced the same style of beer. A beer writer from England noted:
In 2013, there was an estimated 2,822 breweries in this grand nation of ours! That is more than in any other country in the world. Brewers are trying new recipes, ancient recipes, different kinds of yeasts, and making beer like no one has before. America's brew tradition has finally risen from the ashes like the majestic phoenix that it is!
One might say that beer still sustains human civilization. We don't need it anymore, but as a culture we need it. Americans enjoy their beer, but until recently there have been very few beer types available to the American consumer. In 1873 there were more than 4,000 breweries in the States. 4,000!! German brewers started manufacturing lighter-tasting lagers and Americans enjoyed these lagers. In the years leading up to WWI a lot of breweries began to consolidate and smaller breweries started to disappear. By 1918, only 1,000 breweries remained. Then Prohibition began.
Even though Prohibition had hit the American brewers hard, about 700 breweries were back in business in 1933 when Prohibition was repealed. The larger breweries took over the market through their quest for expansion and their superior marketing campaigns and drove small breweries into the ground. By 1950 there were only 407 breweries, and this number dropped to 230 just eleven years later. By 1983 there were only 80 breweries in the United States and only 51 of those was independently run. And most produced the same style of beer. A beer writer from England noted:
“They are pale lager beers vaguely of the pilsener style but lighter in body, notably lacking hop character, and generally bland in palate. They do not all taste exactly the same but the differences between them are often of minor consequence.”But worry not, my friends! In the late 1970s there were a couple of small upstart breweries in Northern California that started to brew styles of beer that hadn't been brewed in America in many years. More and more micro- and craft breweries began opening around the U.S. and American ingenuity in the beer business was alive and well. Small, but innovative breweries began popping up in Colorado and elsewhere, and now one from a little town called Boston is dominating the market. Sam Adams, anyone?
In 2013, there was an estimated 2,822 breweries in this grand nation of ours! That is more than in any other country in the world. Brewers are trying new recipes, ancient recipes, different kinds of yeasts, and making beer like no one has before. America's brew tradition has finally risen from the ashes like the majestic phoenix that it is!
Here is a link to an article on the matter: http://www.craftbeer.com/the-beverage/history-of-beer/the-american-story
E-cigarettes in a museum?!
An interesting post on American Alliance of Museum's LinkedIn page about policies on e-cigarettes in a museum. An e-cigarette is a cigarette. Sure, there is water vapor instead of smoke being emitted from the cigarette but it's still vapor. Water vapor affects relative humidity, which affects your collections/exhibits.
And what is in these e-cigarettes? Someone I work with smokes an e-cigarette and she mentioned there is still nicotine in it. Plus, what other chemicals are in an e-cigarette? I'm not sure, but I'm sure there are other things in them. Not to mention the flavoring that can be added to an e-cigarette; so it's possible to have a Skittles scented water vapor cloud floating through your museum. Is that really better than a gray, nicotine cloud? I don't think so.
I understand e-cigarettes are used to help smokers stop smoking but smokers wouldn't light a cigarette inside a museum, so why would an e-cigarette be permitted? There seems to be confusion about how to define smoking. In my opinion putting something in your mouth and inhaling then exhaling smoke or vapors is still smoking.
If you want to smoke, I say smoke. But respect others and respect the museum and its collections. I don't think banning e-cigarettes is any different that banning food and drink near collections. People can be addicted to eating just as much as to smoking, but we expect food addicts to control themselves in a museum so e-cigarette smokers should be expected to control their smoking while in a museum!
And what is in these e-cigarettes? Someone I work with smokes an e-cigarette and she mentioned there is still nicotine in it. Plus, what other chemicals are in an e-cigarette? I'm not sure, but I'm sure there are other things in them. Not to mention the flavoring that can be added to an e-cigarette; so it's possible to have a Skittles scented water vapor cloud floating through your museum. Is that really better than a gray, nicotine cloud? I don't think so.
I understand e-cigarettes are used to help smokers stop smoking but smokers wouldn't light a cigarette inside a museum, so why would an e-cigarette be permitted? There seems to be confusion about how to define smoking. In my opinion putting something in your mouth and inhaling then exhaling smoke or vapors is still smoking.
If you want to smoke, I say smoke. But respect others and respect the museum and its collections. I don't think banning e-cigarettes is any different that banning food and drink near collections. People can be addicted to eating just as much as to smoking, but we expect food addicts to control themselves in a museum so e-cigarette smokers should be expected to control their smoking while in a museum!
Friday, November 21, 2014
Photographs and Smiling (fun pictures included!!!)
Smithsonian Magazine has a fun little video that briefly discusses the lack of smiles in old photographs. In 1839 Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre debuted his "Daguerreotype" photographic technique. On the day of the demonstration it was a bit overcast and the new technology required a fifteen minute exposure. Holding a steady smile for that long just isn't feasible. People also only had photographs taken once or twice and usually wanted a serious-looking photo as it was a very formal occasion. But with good lighting an exposure could be as short as a few seconds. (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/category/ask-smithsonian/ask-smithsonian-why-dont-people-smile-in-o/#ooid=V0amZrcTqCO35A9JmeDvmfkhl-N_iltw)
Here is a lady and her laughing baby in an Ambrotype from 1860. Sh obviously couldn't help but laugh a bit too!
It is interesting to see how people's poses and preferred facial expressions have changed over the years just as the technology has changed. Since I was little my mom has had to tell me to close my mouth in pictures; personally I think I look better with a goofy open-mouth smile! Haha! And the whole "duckface" trend is interesting. Not really sure where that whole thing started or why people want to look like that.
I also find it interesting how smiling and picture-taking differs between cultures. When I studied abroad in Luxembourg I lived with a host family and I asked my host brother what he thinks of Americans and if he can tell someone is American without speaking to them. He said that Americans are always smiling and we all seem to have a pose ready for any picture that might be taken at any time. And it's true if you think about it. I have seen pictures of him and his friends and pictures of other Europeans; they do not look happy. A lot less smiling is going on and they don't seem to know how to work the camera!
Here we see a young European in her natural habitat, not knowing what to do with a camera in her face. Haha! I kid of course. This is a Daguerreotype from 1857 and I find it hilarious so I am throwing it in here. Look at that kid's face. Priceless. Reminds me of a modern-day child named, Chloe, who has become famous on the internet for her amazing expression.
I guess some things transcend time!!
Here is a lady and her laughing baby in an Ambrotype from 1860. Sh obviously couldn't help but laugh a bit too!
It is interesting to see how people's poses and preferred facial expressions have changed over the years just as the technology has changed. Since I was little my mom has had to tell me to close my mouth in pictures; personally I think I look better with a goofy open-mouth smile! Haha! And the whole "duckface" trend is interesting. Not really sure where that whole thing started or why people want to look like that.
I also find it interesting how smiling and picture-taking differs between cultures. When I studied abroad in Luxembourg I lived with a host family and I asked my host brother what he thinks of Americans and if he can tell someone is American without speaking to them. He said that Americans are always smiling and we all seem to have a pose ready for any picture that might be taken at any time. And it's true if you think about it. I have seen pictures of him and his friends and pictures of other Europeans; they do not look happy. A lot less smiling is going on and they don't seem to know how to work the camera!
Here we see a young European in her natural habitat, not knowing what to do with a camera in her face. Haha! I kid of course. This is a Daguerreotype from 1857 and I find it hilarious so I am throwing it in here. Look at that kid's face. Priceless. Reminds me of a modern-day child named, Chloe, who has become famous on the internet for her amazing expression.
I guess some things transcend time!!
Big Bang Theory and its writers' inaccuracy
On November 20th, an episode of The Big Bang Theory aired and one of the story lines made my eye twitch a little. The show has a full team of physicists, engineers and biologists that work with the writers in order to make the character's dialogue scientifically accurate. But apparently they don't care about university archivists.
The episode follows three different stories. One is about an older professor passing away and what happens to his research and academic belongings. The story goes that Raj, Howard, and Leonard, who are other scientists working at the university, have been tasked by the Science department with cleaning out the dead professor's office. They are going through his papers, notebooks, files, etc. and throwing what they deem unimportant in a huge recycling bin. They even comment on how it's strange that someone's lifework just gets thrown into the trash once they die....yeah, well it probably wouldn't if you guys went through the proper records management procedure and called an archivist!!! One can only imagine how much my eye was twitching.
I am sure that most viewers have no idea what a university archivist is or what they do, but every university has one, and they would be the ones tasked with going through a professor's papers, not fellow scientists who knew the guy. It seems that Big Bang cares a lot about being scientifically accurate but doesn't have any concern with accuracy in other fields.
Even before I enrolled in this program it would have bothered me, but now it bothers me even more! I guess those writers never utilized their own university archives when they were in school, or maybe they would have thought the plot line strange. Oh well!
The episode follows three different stories. One is about an older professor passing away and what happens to his research and academic belongings. The story goes that Raj, Howard, and Leonard, who are other scientists working at the university, have been tasked by the Science department with cleaning out the dead professor's office. They are going through his papers, notebooks, files, etc. and throwing what they deem unimportant in a huge recycling bin. They even comment on how it's strange that someone's lifework just gets thrown into the trash once they die....yeah, well it probably wouldn't if you guys went through the proper records management procedure and called an archivist!!! One can only imagine how much my eye was twitching.
I am sure that most viewers have no idea what a university archivist is or what they do, but every university has one, and they would be the ones tasked with going through a professor's papers, not fellow scientists who knew the guy. It seems that Big Bang cares a lot about being scientifically accurate but doesn't have any concern with accuracy in other fields.
Even before I enrolled in this program it would have bothered me, but now it bothers me even more! I guess those writers never utilized their own university archives when they were in school, or maybe they would have thought the plot line strange. Oh well!
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
PSA - Plan ahead for retirement
So, everyone hopes to retire at some point, right? Everyone knows that planning for retirement is a must, but no one seems to do it early enough! I just met with my financial advisor and it's depressing.
I urge everyone in our class to start saving for retirement as soon as you can and DON'T TOUCH IT!!! I know, you're young and you have a long time until retirement, right? It's true, you're young, you have a long time to work until you need to worry about retiring, but one day you're going to wake up and be forty something and realize that retirement is getting closer and the funds haven't grown the way you'd hoped.
Things happen, I understand that - kids, houses, emergencies, but if you can leave your retirement funds alone you're going to be much better off. I think the worst thing available in a company 401k plan is a loan. Sure, loans have to be paid back, but at the same time you're missing valuable investment time and interest. I may be lucky enough to be able to count on some sort of social security to supplement my other retirement plans, but social security most likely isn't going to be around by the time the rest of the class retires.
Find someone you trust, someone who understands the ins and outs of investing. Don't try to do it on your own unless you have the time to invest in research. I finally found someone who is honest, someone who knows what he's doing and someone who is sincere and really wants to help his clients. 401k plans are great, but knowing what to invest those funds in can be tricky. Most companies don't offer any kind of advising, most likely the company is making more money than you on your 401k.
Plan ahead, save what you can and live life to the fullest! That's my advice for today.
I urge everyone in our class to start saving for retirement as soon as you can and DON'T TOUCH IT!!! I know, you're young and you have a long time until retirement, right? It's true, you're young, you have a long time to work until you need to worry about retiring, but one day you're going to wake up and be forty something and realize that retirement is getting closer and the funds haven't grown the way you'd hoped.
Things happen, I understand that - kids, houses, emergencies, but if you can leave your retirement funds alone you're going to be much better off. I think the worst thing available in a company 401k plan is a loan. Sure, loans have to be paid back, but at the same time you're missing valuable investment time and interest. I may be lucky enough to be able to count on some sort of social security to supplement my other retirement plans, but social security most likely isn't going to be around by the time the rest of the class retires.
Find someone you trust, someone who understands the ins and outs of investing. Don't try to do it on your own unless you have the time to invest in research. I finally found someone who is honest, someone who knows what he's doing and someone who is sincere and really wants to help his clients. 401k plans are great, but knowing what to invest those funds in can be tricky. Most companies don't offer any kind of advising, most likely the company is making more money than you on your 401k.
Plan ahead, save what you can and live life to the fullest! That's my advice for today.
Brad Meltzer's Lost History
This is a new program on History (formerly called "The History Channel") on H2 about stolen or missing objects with importance to American history and culture. The first episode reveals that the flag raised in this photograph taken just after the 9/11 attacks is missing. What makes this series unique is that the host, Brad Meltzer, actively solicits help from the viewers to help locate the objects discussed in the program. There is an internet tipline that can be used to send information about the missing objects. The potential reward for information leading to the missing objects, according to the show, is up to $10,000.
It's not made clear where the money comes from for the rewards or how tips will be investigated. But, if the show helps to recover these artifacts, then it will be worthwhile. I had no idea that that flag was missing nor did I know the exact story behind the flag itself, which the episode details.
The series is very informative and the host is clearly passionate about history and about recovering these missing objects. If you don't get H2, you can watch full episodes here.
It's not made clear where the money comes from for the rewards or how tips will be investigated. But, if the show helps to recover these artifacts, then it will be worthwhile. I had no idea that that flag was missing nor did I know the exact story behind the flag itself, which the episode details.
The series is very informative and the host is clearly passionate about history and about recovering these missing objects. If you don't get H2, you can watch full episodes here.
Ohio Lesbian Archives
Yes, there really is such a thing as lesbian archives. There aren't very many in the United States but one such place is located in Cincinnati, Ohio in of all places, a church basement. It used to be located above a bookstore which is closed now. It recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, so this is a fairly new institution, which is all-volunteer run.
I'm not certain if it fits the strictest definition of an "archives" since they collect both published and unpublished materials as well as some three-dimension objects. The collection looks to be quite diverse, everything from newspapers to magazines to photographs. If you look them up on Facebook (search "Ohio Lesbian Archives") you'll find a photo of some of their materials on display at a special event.
I think the existence of places like this is a positive thing. Archives, and all public history institutions for that matter, tell stories about people. The stories of women and minorities have been ignored by historians for too long and it's only in the last few decades that historians have begun to pay attention. There is still a long way to go but I think there will be more archives in the future devoted to unprivileged groups ignored by traditional history.
Here's a link to their blog, which doesn't look to be updated very regularly: http://ohiolesbianarchives.wordpress.com/
I'm not certain if it fits the strictest definition of an "archives" since they collect both published and unpublished materials as well as some three-dimension objects. The collection looks to be quite diverse, everything from newspapers to magazines to photographs. If you look them up on Facebook (search "Ohio Lesbian Archives") you'll find a photo of some of their materials on display at a special event.
I think the existence of places like this is a positive thing. Archives, and all public history institutions for that matter, tell stories about people. The stories of women and minorities have been ignored by historians for too long and it's only in the last few decades that historians have begun to pay attention. There is still a long way to go but I think there will be more archives in the future devoted to unprivileged groups ignored by traditional history.
Here's a link to their blog, which doesn't look to be updated very regularly: http://ohiolesbianarchives.wordpress.com/
Monday, November 17, 2014
Historical Institutions Update Their Brands
I was quite confused after the Ohio Historical Society changed its name to the Ohio History Connection. After reading The New York Times article by Robin Pogrebin, I now understand the reasoning for the name change: to sound more inclusive. After thinking about it, the Ohio History Connection does sound much more modern and inviting than including historical society in the name! Pogrebin reports in the article that OHC Director Burt Logan realized that the term itself can have a connotation of being exclusive and unwelcoming, which is not what he wanted. Comments about how the society's name reflected on the society caused Burt to connect the image being portrayed and the audiences trying to be reached.
OHC is not the only historical society re-branding itself to appeal to a more current audience. The Chicago Historical Society is now the Chicago History Museum and has changed more than just their name. The museum has been around since 1856, changing both its name and physical presentation in 2006. The museum placed pieces from their collection in the window so that people passing by could get a better sense of what is inside. They also have redesigned the lobby including a 1978 Chevy Monte Carlo lowrider to appeal to "today's Chicago" and are taking a more family approach when featuring collections in the museum.
This article also discusses the Fairfield Historical Society in Connecticut and The Lancaster County Historical Society in Pennsylvania. The Fairfield Historical Society changed its name to the Fairfield Museum in 2007 as part of a "re-envisioning" project for the entire organization. This includes new programming, like "Talking Heads" with Kieth Richards and Donna Summer and an exhibition called "Fairfield's Rockin' Top Ten." The Lancaster Historical Society changed its name to LancasterHistory.org in 2009 and changed in part to accommodate other local history institutions brought under its wing. The name not only appeals to a newer, younger demographic, but also directly links to the museum's web page.
It's institutions like these that not only help inform the new generation about history, but also need community support to stay active. As long as the name change does not negatively effect or "downplay" what the institution has to offer, I think it is a fantastic idea! Here's the link to the full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/arts/artsspecial/historical-institutions-update-their-brands.html?_r=0
OHC is not the only historical society re-branding itself to appeal to a more current audience. The Chicago Historical Society is now the Chicago History Museum and has changed more than just their name. The museum has been around since 1856, changing both its name and physical presentation in 2006. The museum placed pieces from their collection in the window so that people passing by could get a better sense of what is inside. They also have redesigned the lobby including a 1978 Chevy Monte Carlo lowrider to appeal to "today's Chicago" and are taking a more family approach when featuring collections in the museum.
This article also discusses the Fairfield Historical Society in Connecticut and The Lancaster County Historical Society in Pennsylvania. The Fairfield Historical Society changed its name to the Fairfield Museum in 2007 as part of a "re-envisioning" project for the entire organization. This includes new programming, like "Talking Heads" with Kieth Richards and Donna Summer and an exhibition called "Fairfield's Rockin' Top Ten." The Lancaster Historical Society changed its name to LancasterHistory.org in 2009 and changed in part to accommodate other local history institutions brought under its wing. The name not only appeals to a newer, younger demographic, but also directly links to the museum's web page.
It's institutions like these that not only help inform the new generation about history, but also need community support to stay active. As long as the name change does not negatively effect or "downplay" what the institution has to offer, I think it is a fantastic idea! Here's the link to the full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/arts/artsspecial/historical-institutions-update-their-brands.html?_r=0
Is Chocolate In Trouble?
The world’s biggest
chocolate-maker says we’re running out of chocolate
This article does not have a whole
lot to do with museums and such but if what it is saying is true then chocolate
could be history! There are already museums dedicated to chocolate, but
chocolate may end up having a prominent place in these museums and more museums
in the future. There is The Chocolate Museum in Canada, The Hershey Amusement
Park and Museum in Pennsylvania, countless museums dedicated to chocolate in
Europe, and there is even the International Cocoa Council.
Chocolate is my favorite food, so when I saw this article my
first thoughts were, “Not chocolate!” and “Anything but chocolate!” This
article states that we could be in the longest streak of consecutive chocolate deficits
in more than 50 years and there is some data provided to back this up. What is
basically happening is the world is consuming more chocolate than is being
produced. The main cause of this problem is supply or what is preventing the supply
of chocolate. Dry weather in Africa has greatly hindered the production of
cocoa along with the appearance of a fungal disease known as frosty pod that
spread across the continent. The results of these hindrances have caused
farmers to switch to growing more profitable crops and dropping the cocoa
business. A rise in the popularity of dark chocolate has also not helped with
this problem. Dark chocolate is healthier to eat, in moderate amounts, and it
contains significantly more cocoa than milk chocolate. Efforts are being made
to balance out the consumption of chocolate with its production, such as
raising prices. If this keeps happening chocolate could become more of a
delicacy than what it already is! There are also researcher in Africa who are
experimenting with the development of trees that can produce up to 7 times the
amount of cocoa beans than regular trees can. I do not like the sound of this
because it is not natural and I am not sure what that would mean for our
health. It is possible that the use of these new trees could compromise the
taste of chocolate. I hope a good solution can happen to prevent the disappearance
of chocolate. Chocolate has a history all of its own but I do not like the idea
that it could actually become history!
Save the chocolate!
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Le Louvre Online Visitor Trails
One of my favorite memories from Paris is visiting the Louvre. I definitely underestimated its size and barely got through half of the museum over the course of a two visits! I have not really kept up with what the Louvre has been doing since visiting and thought to visit their website. The website is very interactive and like the museum, there is a lot to see. I was pleased to find a section on the website titled "Visitor Trails," 27 informational pages over various collections at the museum. Each page links collections to overarching themes to help visitors put the Louvre's massive holdings into perspective. A photo is included with each step of the tour.
Salle des Caryatides
The first trail I ventured down was titled, "Living in the Louvre, The former palace of the French kings." After the introductory step, each step following briefly describes the kings of the Louvre and parts of the museum most relevant to them. This tour starts with Salle Saint-Louis, who ordered construction of the Louvre in 1190, and describes how the museum looked during the medieval period. Each step includes where the room is located in the museum and how to get to the next step when physically visiting. I wish I had looked through this prior to visiting the museum!
Display case of Ancient Egyptian artifacts
Another trail that caught my attention was the "Daily Life in Egypt, In the Time of the Pharaohs" trail. I spent quite a while admiring Egyptian Antiquities when I visited the museum as I had never seen anything like it. Throughout the steps of this trail, the artifacts that are displayed are explained with relevance to daily life under rule of the pharaohs in Egypt. A model boat, farming tools, and tablets are just a few of the types of artifacts included to help visitors understand life in Ancient Egypt. I like the way this tour is set up because it could help a visitor physically go to the museum with the relevance behind these objects already in mind. I think all of the trails provided on the Lourve's website would be incredibly helpful for visitors to check out before heading to the museum.
In front of the Louvre, December 1, 2011
Here is the link to view all visitor trails offered:
http://www.louvre.fr/en/parcours
Salle des CaryatidesThe first trail I ventured down was titled, "Living in the Louvre, The former palace of the French kings." After the introductory step, each step following briefly describes the kings of the Louvre and parts of the museum most relevant to them. This tour starts with Salle Saint-Louis, who ordered construction of the Louvre in 1190, and describes how the museum looked during the medieval period. Each step includes where the room is located in the museum and how to get to the next step when physically visiting. I wish I had looked through this prior to visiting the museum!
Display case of Ancient Egyptian artifactsAnother trail that caught my attention was the "Daily Life in Egypt, In the Time of the Pharaohs" trail. I spent quite a while admiring Egyptian Antiquities when I visited the museum as I had never seen anything like it. Throughout the steps of this trail, the artifacts that are displayed are explained with relevance to daily life under rule of the pharaohs in Egypt. A model boat, farming tools, and tablets are just a few of the types of artifacts included to help visitors understand life in Ancient Egypt. I like the way this tour is set up because it could help a visitor physically go to the museum with the relevance behind these objects already in mind. I think all of the trails provided on the Lourve's website would be incredibly helpful for visitors to check out before heading to the museum.
In front of the Louvre, December 1, 2011Here is the link to view all visitor trails offered:
http://www.louvre.fr/en/parcours
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Johnny Appleseed's apples weren't meant for eating...
John Chapman, known today as Johnny Appleseed, was anything but the barefoot wanderer depicted in the Disney feature Melody Time. We've always heard "an apple a day keeps the doctor away," but Chapman used apples in much different way: hard apple cider. The apples John grew were entirely different from the those you image today and were used to make the beverage-of-choice in America at that time. Really, up until Prohibition, apples were more commonly made for barrels of cider. Cider was so popular, it replaced many drinks we intake daily, such as wine, tea, coffee, and even water.
Not much is known about Chapman's early life in Massachusetts. He appeared to be on the western edge of Pennsylvania in the early 1800s. Travelers moving westward were guaranteed 100 acres of land if they agreed to form permanent homestead beyond Ohio's first permanent settlement starting in 1792. They proved their homesteads permanent by planting 50 apple trees and 20 peach trees within the first three years of occupying the land, which could take up to ten years to grow fruit. Chapman realized early on he could make profit by doing this difficult work and advanced ahead of the settlers, landing in Illinois. He planted all of his orchards from seed, making his apples unfit for eating for the most part. Grafting, the technique of taking a section of steam with buds from certain apple trees and inserting them into the stock of another, was what was considered for more edible apples. Chapman was a member of the Swedenborgian Church who believed that grafting caused plants to suffer.
At the time, water could be filled with dangerous bacteria, so cider was a much safer drink for settlers to consume. Travelers from New England reportedly drank 10.52 ounces of hard cider per day! After Chapman's death in 1845, many of his orchards perished as well. FBI agents were known to cut down apple trees that produced the appropriate apples for cider making during Prohibition. Today, America's cider market is growing and Chapman is to thank for some varieties sold in supermarkets, like the golden delicious. One day, I hope that Johnny Appleseed and his Disney persona is overlooked so Chapman can be recognized for his success in the cider market.
Here's the link to the Smithsonian Magazine article:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/real-johnny-appleseed-brought-applesand-booze-american-frontier-180953263/
Not much is known about Chapman's early life in Massachusetts. He appeared to be on the western edge of Pennsylvania in the early 1800s. Travelers moving westward were guaranteed 100 acres of land if they agreed to form permanent homestead beyond Ohio's first permanent settlement starting in 1792. They proved their homesteads permanent by planting 50 apple trees and 20 peach trees within the first three years of occupying the land, which could take up to ten years to grow fruit. Chapman realized early on he could make profit by doing this difficult work and advanced ahead of the settlers, landing in Illinois. He planted all of his orchards from seed, making his apples unfit for eating for the most part. Grafting, the technique of taking a section of steam with buds from certain apple trees and inserting them into the stock of another, was what was considered for more edible apples. Chapman was a member of the Swedenborgian Church who believed that grafting caused plants to suffer.
At the time, water could be filled with dangerous bacteria, so cider was a much safer drink for settlers to consume. Travelers from New England reportedly drank 10.52 ounces of hard cider per day! After Chapman's death in 1845, many of his orchards perished as well. FBI agents were known to cut down apple trees that produced the appropriate apples for cider making during Prohibition. Today, America's cider market is growing and Chapman is to thank for some varieties sold in supermarkets, like the golden delicious. One day, I hope that Johnny Appleseed and his Disney persona is overlooked so Chapman can be recognized for his success in the cider market.
Here's the link to the Smithsonian Magazine article:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/real-johnny-appleseed-brought-applesand-booze-american-frontier-180953263/
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Politics and Historical Interpretation According to "Wicked"
"Where I'm from, we believe all sorts of
things that aren't true. We call it 'history.'
A man's called a traitor - or liberator.
A rich man's a thief - or philanthropist.
Is one a crusader - or ruthless invader?
It's all in which label
is able to persist.
There are precious few at ease
with moral ambiguities,
so we act as though they don't exist..."
--The Wizard of Oz, Wicked
 |
| Remember this little ditty from our history books? |
The reason that such a thing is possible, the Wizard argues, is because the public doesn't like ambiguity. It wants black & white, good & evil answers...history in a nutshell. From our readings regarding history as interpreted by film, this appears to be a consensus. "They," the uninformed masses, don't have time to think about such confusing grey areas, so "we," the cultured and informed keepers of knowledge--the leaders and historians--must boil it down and decide what's best for them to know. (How very Brave New World of us!) Also according to our readings, historians deal too much in ambiguity for easy answers to be given for complex questions. Therefore, the politicians are the ones who give the public what they want. This seems terribly presumptuous towards the assumptions of our audience, yet politicians have quite a bit of sway with their party versions of American history.
 |
| Are there any answers around here? |
We may not be able to affect change on this issue, we can more easily ask the question, what happens to history when historians have or consider a political agenda in their interpretive lens? Do political beliefs in interpretation (regardless of what they are) inherently bias history? Further, is it possible to present history without any bias or lens so that the public is truly free to make all interpretations themselves?
The only ways I could see "raw" history being presented is either as date'n'name history or in such a way that incorporates all interpretations equally. Of those, the latter at least seems impossible, as one or a few interpretations will be represented more strongly as the presenters better understand certain views over others. The former, while certainly possible, doesn't seem useful. I've never heard anyone say that date'n'name history was an opportunity to decide for oneself the truth of the matter. Instead, people just see it as boring and pointless.
As a point of fact, we have been encouraged all semester to find narrative themes, a "so what?" for the histories we tell. It seems as though the Wizard is right that the public wants interpretation, but not--I think--to be blind consumers. Instead, perhaps the public needs interpretation as a point of reference, a springboard of thought from which they can agree or disagree and go from there. Thus, a historian's interpretation is valuable because the public can form their own conclusions in relation to it, not because it is concretely true.
Conservation of Tullio Lombardo's Adam at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
In October of 2002 at the Met, the wooden pedestal supporting the statue Adam gave way, causing the over 500 year old sculpture to fall and break into 28 large pieces and hundreds of small fragments. It has taken 12 long years but Adam is finally back on display at the Met. There are video clips at the Met's website that detail the incident as well as the conservation efforts and an interesting time-lapse video of the final process of putting Adam back together again.
Carolyn Riccardelli, the Met conservator, mentions a few times throughout the "After the Fall" video about using reversible methods and materials in the process, such as the acrylic glue used to join the pieces together. It was amazing for me to see the enormous pains that the conservators went to in order to make the statue look as much as possible as it did before the accident. This is especially true since much of the time, in order to get something like this back on display quickly, many museums use very destructive methods such as drilling holes to get it back together. But, conservators at the Met did it right. It may have taken much longer than anyone thought, but the final results are outstanding. Even on close inspection, the cracks are almost invisible. A recent New York Times article goes into more detail about the restoration efforts and includes a brief slide show which I recommend you take a few moments to peruse.
Carolyn Riccardelli, the Met conservator, mentions a few times throughout the "After the Fall" video about using reversible methods and materials in the process, such as the acrylic glue used to join the pieces together. It was amazing for me to see the enormous pains that the conservators went to in order to make the statue look as much as possible as it did before the accident. This is especially true since much of the time, in order to get something like this back on display quickly, many museums use very destructive methods such as drilling holes to get it back together. But, conservators at the Met did it right. It may have taken much longer than anyone thought, but the final results are outstanding. Even on close inspection, the cracks are almost invisible. A recent New York Times article goes into more detail about the restoration efforts and includes a brief slide show which I recommend you take a few moments to peruse.
Monday, November 10, 2014
The Falling Man and 9/11 History
After watching Objects and Memories, I stumbled upon 9/11: The Falling Man, a documentary made in 2006. It tells the story of the photograph at right, of a man accidentally or intentionally falling from the north tower of the World Trade Center on September 11. The photo ran only one time in many papers on September 12, but created such an uproar it was not published again for several years. The fact the image is disturbing, and given the misleading impression the man fall straight down although the series of photos shows the man tumbling, I don't think can be disputed. What I do ask is do public historians have an obligation to document "The Falling Man," by Richard Drew, as well as the others who fell to their deaths on 9/11?
According to reports on the 9/11 Museum, there will be a small alcove which at least acknowledges their existence. The people who fell or jumped deserve to be recognized as well as those who some seem to believe died a more heroic death. Why was accidentally falling or taking one's fate into one's own hands and jumping less heroic that accidentally being crushed by debris or suffocated by toxic smoke?
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