For our Digital History class, we were asked to look at several collective memory projects, such as the Memory Archive, 9/11 and the Hurricane Katrina collective. We were also invited to think about a memory bank or collective experiences, that we would like to turn into a website. For me, this proved to be very difficult, as I wanted to think of something all encompassing and nation bonding as the Memory Archive or the Hurricane Katrina website. I soon found out, that I really don’t have a large, shared memory outside of those presented. Perhaps I am too young, or perhaps Canada has been fortunate enough not to have such horrible, nation-unifying events like 9/11. I started to think about my strongest and most powerful memories, such as: the death of Princess Diana, my love for Jordan Catalano, the death of Kurt Cobain, the chills of Twin Peaks, my first real kiss, the Brit battle over Blur and Oasis, my first 'grown-up' job, etc…. All of these memories would create interesting and gripping memory banks, but instead, I decided to pick a topic that tormented me for years, I call it…
....Kilts, Clashes and Capital!
I would like to start a collective memory project recalling the horrors and nuisances of all-girls private school. Now, the school I attended will remain nameless (who knows what future employer has an extremely fond memory of this institution), but it would be interesting to see if other women look back on their single-sex education as unfavourably as I do. Such topics spring to mind: etiquette classes, bomb threats, forced synchronized swimming, unexpected bloomer checks, pageants, flashers, white ‘purity’ gowns for Graduation, extreme awkwardness with the opposite sex, vicious dodgeball games, cliques, super cliques, loners, mean girls, that one male math teacher, the 'cool way' to wear knee socks, penny loavers, doc martins, itchy tights and obsessive Diet Coke consumption! There are a lot of memories to share, and maybe some group therapy to be had.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
“Freaky-deakies need love too!”
For those who do not watch 30 Rock, the above title is not as humour as it could be; for those of you who do watch the hilarity of Liz Lemon and her horde of co-workers, congratulations, you are currently viewing one of the most entertaining and witty comedies on television!
Okay… now on to what I’m really here to talk about! Freak-deakies, or rather, the London Dungeon.
Over the past few weeks, our Public History course has examined the role of the museum, looking at the history of museums, as well as exploring contemporary examples. In Tony Bennett’s The Birth of the Museum, he discusses the changing role of the museum from a carnival-like, freak show to the organized, sterile environment associated with some museum’s today. While I truly enjoy visiting a more conservative style of museum, such as the ROM or Museum London, the idea of a carnival-like, freak show is starting to appeal to me (perhaps it is the time of year, when papers, test and presentations are all piling up, revealing my inner freak!).
The London Dungeon (London, England) advertises: “transport yourself back to the darkest moments in the capital’s history within the deep depths of the London Dungeon. Live actors, shows, two rides and interactive special effect ensure that you face your fears head on.” For some, this sends off alarm bells since it sounds more like Fear Factor than a museum. Personally, I would agree, the London Dungeon does have Fear Factor or Magic Mountain type elements to it. For those who visit the London Dungeon (instead of visiting the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Tate Modern, The National Gallery, etc.) they are looking for something different - they are looking for something where they can take their thirteen year old, who is too cool for school, as well as their eleven year old, who could not be more disinterested in history or family gatherings as a whole.
People are going to the bloody, gory, thrill-driven London Dungeon to fulfill a different desire. Yet, in spite of t
his, the outcome is very different from what one might think. Having been to the London Dungeon, I believe it is impossible to leave, without some senses of ‘a’ history. Not only can you seek thrilling rides, but you can also go to numerous exhibits on torture, which is a very true and gruesome part of British history. You can also learn about the losses of the Great Fire of London, the horrors of the Great Plague and the malicious killings of Jack the Ripper. While you are there, a ‘reaper’ like guide, who informs you about such things as torture devices and historic diseases, can escort you around the site. They explain the who's, the how’s and the when’s of a lot of the exhibits. For me, this is all history, even if it is served with a side of shock value and a handful of pyrotechnics.
The way we present history is changing! Museums like the London Dungeon are challenging the way we currently view a museum, and just like all good and bad things in life, there has to be a happy medium between conflicting sides or ideas. The London Dungeon is a balancing act within itself, presenting gruesome history, to the widest audience, in a thrill driven atmosphere – and by widest audience, I mean huge! The London Dungeon brings in thousands of visitors a year and has even recently been awarded London’s Visitor Attraction of the Year and the Best Tourism Experience. With this, many people are experiencing the doom and gloom of historic London and I would be surprised if several did not go away with a greater desire to learn more about the history of torture. Taking this further, I would argue that many leave with a keener interest in history itself. The London Dungeon has taken an exciting, historic truth and turned it into a great attraction - and what a great city to be left in, when your new found spark for history sets in. Leaving the depths and shadows of the London Dungeon, you can be inside the Museum of Technology, the Saachi Gallery or the Tower of London in minutes!
Overall, I feel that museums such as the London Dungeon have an important role to play, as do more conservative ones. Even if the London Dungeon only transforms a few sceptical teenagers, children or adults, into future history enthusiasts, the goal (for me, as a Public Historian) has been achieved.
Okay… now on to what I’m really here to talk about! Freak-deakies, or rather, the London Dungeon.
Over the past few weeks, our Public History course has examined the role of the museum, looking at the history of museums, as well as exploring contemporary examples. In Tony Bennett’s The Birth of the Museum, he discusses the changing role of the museum from a carnival-like, freak show to the organized, sterile environment associated with some museum’s today. While I truly enjoy visiting a more conservative style of museum, such as the ROM or Museum London, the idea of a carnival-like, freak show is starting to appeal to me (perhaps it is the time of year, when papers, test and presentations are all piling up, revealing my inner freak!).
The London Dungeon (London, England) advertises: “transport yourself back to the darkest moments in the capital’s history within the deep depths of the London Dungeon. Live actors, shows, two rides and interactive special effect ensure that you face your fears head on.” For some, this sends off alarm bells since it sounds more like Fear Factor than a museum. Personally, I would agree, the London Dungeon does have Fear Factor or Magic Mountain type elements to it. For those who visit the London Dungeon (instead of visiting the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Tate Modern, The National Gallery, etc.) they are looking for something different - they are looking for something where they can take their thirteen year old, who is too cool for school, as well as their eleven year old, who could not be more disinterested in history or family gatherings as a whole.
People are going to the bloody, gory, thrill-driven London Dungeon to fulfill a different desire. Yet, in spite of t
his, the outcome is very different from what one might think. Having been to the London Dungeon, I believe it is impossible to leave, without some senses of ‘a’ history. Not only can you seek thrilling rides, but you can also go to numerous exhibits on torture, which is a very true and gruesome part of British history. You can also learn about the losses of the Great Fire of London, the horrors of the Great Plague and the malicious killings of Jack the Ripper. While you are there, a ‘reaper’ like guide, who informs you about such things as torture devices and historic diseases, can escort you around the site. They explain the who's, the how’s and the when’s of a lot of the exhibits. For me, this is all history, even if it is served with a side of shock value and a handful of pyrotechnics.The way we present history is changing! Museums like the London Dungeon are challenging the way we currently view a museum, and just like all good and bad things in life, there has to be a happy medium between conflicting sides or ideas. The London Dungeon is a balancing act within itself, presenting gruesome history, to the widest audience, in a thrill driven atmosphere – and by widest audience, I mean huge! The London Dungeon brings in thousands of visitors a year and has even recently been awarded London’s Visitor Attraction of the Year and the Best Tourism Experience. With this, many people are experiencing the doom and gloom of historic London and I would be surprised if several did not go away with a greater desire to learn more about the history of torture. Taking this further, I would argue that many leave with a keener interest in history itself. The London Dungeon has taken an exciting, historic truth and turned it into a great attraction - and what a great city to be left in, when your new found spark for history sets in. Leaving the depths and shadows of the London Dungeon, you can be inside the Museum of Technology, the Saachi Gallery or the Tower of London in minutes!
Overall, I feel that museums such as the London Dungeon have an important role to play, as do more conservative ones. Even if the London Dungeon only transforms a few sceptical teenagers, children or adults, into future history enthusiasts, the goal (for me, as a Public Historian) has been achieved.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
HEARTH - Website Review
HEARTH: Home Economics Archive: Research, Tradition, History <http://hearth.library.cornell.edu/> Reviewed: September 28, 2007 to October 7, 2007. This site is created and maintained by the Albert R. Mann Library of Cornell University.
HEARTH: Home Economics Archive: Research, Tradition, History, presented by the Mann Library at Cornell University, examines the field of Home Economics in America between 1850 and 1950. Created by a team of twenty-three scholars, ranging in background and speciality, the website provides an easily accessible database of primary and secondary sources for those researching the field of Home Economics. The goal is to present the history of Home Economics while outlining the triumphs, technologies and fundamental developments during the selected period. The site also seeks to credit the forgotten stories of women and path-makers in the field Home Economics. By maintaining the records and materials available, the HEARTH website not only preserves digital evidence, but also organizes it into a user-friendly, comprehensive online archive.
The presentation of history throughout HEARTH is straightforward, engaging the reader in short essays, while providing access to copious amounts of primary and secondary sources for additional research. The ‘About’ section gives a detailed introduction, outlining and defining Home Economics, while also offering a concise historiography surrounding the subject. The written content of the site offers a revisionist history of Home Economics, challenging traditional stereotypes, such as the belief that Home Economics was a lacklustre field, which was restrictive to women. The HEARTH site views the growth of Home Economics as a positive and progressive development in America society, which opened up opportunities for women. Such opportunities or themes are outlined in the ‘Subject’ link where you can search topics such as Applied Arts, Child Care, Home Management, Home Equipment, Etiquette and Hygiene. Each theme provides a short history, highlighting important people, emphasizing significant political developments, and displaying numerous photographs or images. Each history provides a detailed bibliography for those seeking future research. The subject list makes the search for major historic themes within the database clear and accessible.
HEARTH has many positive features that make it a valuable and effective resource. The websites most notable strength is that it is a gateway to numerous academic sources that are not easily accessed by the public. The website includes more than nine hundred on-line books ranging in date from the early 1850s to the mid 1900s. It also allows free access to nine uncommon academic journals, such as The Home Economist, Journal of Social Hygiene and The Journal of Home Economics. With so much content, HEARTH is surprisingly easy to navigate, separated into six available sub-groups: About, Subjects, Search, Browse, Contact and Help. The ‘Search’ and ‘Browse’ links offer different ways to navigate the resources depending on how specific your research is. ‘Browse’ offers a more whimsical approach searching by lists of time periods, authors, or journal titles. The ‘Search’ link provides a useful key word or title search. Once you have located a valuable resource, you can add it to your ‘Bookbag’ which will record and organize your favourite sources. This is an extremely useful asset, as on-line research can often become mismanaged. Aesthetically, the site is tasteful, disregarding elaborate and unnecessary graphics to entice viewers. The site has a consistent L-shaped, graphic border, which frames the content of the site throughout your exploration. The boarder also provides the sub-groups, which remain on the left-hand side while you navigate the site. HEARTH displays numerous images that relate to the subject matter on the page and provide additional visual interest.
The positives outweigh the negatives with regards to the HEARTH website, however the site is not without flaws. The essay titled, ‘Teaching and Communication’ is currently not available and directs the reader back to the ‘About’ section of the website. Another major drawback is that some digital books are excessively large and take a long time to load, if they load at all. The website is best viewed with high-speed Internet access and a capable computer. While searching the website it is also helpful to note that the sources cited in bibliographies do not act as direct links, which leads to extra research for those seeking the additional sources. Furthermore, although the website caters to both casual browsing and research, the best results are found when you have a strict focus, submitting a specific name or title. Without a narrow focal point, searches can become endless. Lastly, the website did have a minor spelling error which was reported to the site via the ‘Contact’ section on September 30, 2007; it remains unchanged.
Overall, the website is designed to cater to a large and diverse audience. The website is easily accessible through a general Google search or as a link through Cornell’s Mann Library website. More specifically though, the site is geared towards individuals doing research; HEARTH provides extensive bibliographies, copious amounts of research material and reputable information backed by scholarly research and peer evaluation. The primary intended audience are Undergraduate and Graduate students specializing in History, Women’s Studies and Home Economics. Although it is geared towards a more academic audience, the site offers straightforward and approachable information for any high school student or history hobbyist.
HEARTH: Home Economics Archive: Research, Tradition, History, presented by the Mann Library at Cornell University, examines the field of Home Economics in America between 1850 and 1950. Created by a team of twenty-three scholars, ranging in background and speciality, the website provides an easily accessible database of primary and secondary sources for those researching the field of Home Economics. The goal is to present the history of Home Economics while outlining the triumphs, technologies and fundamental developments during the selected period. The site also seeks to credit the forgotten stories of women and path-makers in the field Home Economics. By maintaining the records and materials available, the HEARTH website not only preserves digital evidence, but also organizes it into a user-friendly, comprehensive online archive.
The presentation of history throughout HEARTH is straightforward, engaging the reader in short essays, while providing access to copious amounts of primary and secondary sources for additional research. The ‘About’ section gives a detailed introduction, outlining and defining Home Economics, while also offering a concise historiography surrounding the subject. The written content of the site offers a revisionist history of Home Economics, challenging traditional stereotypes, such as the belief that Home Economics was a lacklustre field, which was restrictive to women. The HEARTH site views the growth of Home Economics as a positive and progressive development in America society, which opened up opportunities for women. Such opportunities or themes are outlined in the ‘Subject’ link where you can search topics such as Applied Arts, Child Care, Home Management, Home Equipment, Etiquette and Hygiene. Each theme provides a short history, highlighting important people, emphasizing significant political developments, and displaying numerous photographs or images. Each history provides a detailed bibliography for those seeking future research. The subject list makes the search for major historic themes within the database clear and accessible.
HEARTH has many positive features that make it a valuable and effective resource. The websites most notable strength is that it is a gateway to numerous academic sources that are not easily accessed by the public. The website includes more than nine hundred on-line books ranging in date from the early 1850s to the mid 1900s. It also allows free access to nine uncommon academic journals, such as The Home Economist, Journal of Social Hygiene and The Journal of Home Economics. With so much content, HEARTH is surprisingly easy to navigate, separated into six available sub-groups: About, Subjects, Search, Browse, Contact and Help. The ‘Search’ and ‘Browse’ links offer different ways to navigate the resources depending on how specific your research is. ‘Browse’ offers a more whimsical approach searching by lists of time periods, authors, or journal titles. The ‘Search’ link provides a useful key word or title search. Once you have located a valuable resource, you can add it to your ‘Bookbag’ which will record and organize your favourite sources. This is an extremely useful asset, as on-line research can often become mismanaged. Aesthetically, the site is tasteful, disregarding elaborate and unnecessary graphics to entice viewers. The site has a consistent L-shaped, graphic border, which frames the content of the site throughout your exploration. The boarder also provides the sub-groups, which remain on the left-hand side while you navigate the site. HEARTH displays numerous images that relate to the subject matter on the page and provide additional visual interest.
The positives outweigh the negatives with regards to the HEARTH website, however the site is not without flaws. The essay titled, ‘Teaching and Communication’ is currently not available and directs the reader back to the ‘About’ section of the website. Another major drawback is that some digital books are excessively large and take a long time to load, if they load at all. The website is best viewed with high-speed Internet access and a capable computer. While searching the website it is also helpful to note that the sources cited in bibliographies do not act as direct links, which leads to extra research for those seeking the additional sources. Furthermore, although the website caters to both casual browsing and research, the best results are found when you have a strict focus, submitting a specific name or title. Without a narrow focal point, searches can become endless. Lastly, the website did have a minor spelling error which was reported to the site via the ‘Contact’ section on September 30, 2007; it remains unchanged.
Overall, the website is designed to cater to a large and diverse audience. The website is easily accessible through a general Google search or as a link through Cornell’s Mann Library website. More specifically though, the site is geared towards individuals doing research; HEARTH provides extensive bibliographies, copious amounts of research material and reputable information backed by scholarly research and peer evaluation. The primary intended audience are Undergraduate and Graduate students specializing in History, Women’s Studies and Home Economics. Although it is geared towards a more academic audience, the site offers straightforward and approachable information for any high school student or history hobbyist.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Writing with Edit HTML
This is my first time using HTML to write my blog. I thought I would experiment and see what I could do with my very basic knowledge of HTML (and a little help from our course readings).
This text is bold.
This text is pink.
This text is pink.
This text is Dark Orchid 2 in bold italics!
This text is Royal Blue 1, underlined, bold and in italics!
This text is LARGE!
This text is small.This is green Times New Roman underlined.
While this is orange Veranda underlined.
This may seem really simple (or perplexing?) to anyone with a background in HTML, but for me, with limited experience (by limited I mean none until now) it was a challenge. Surprisingly, once I got 'into the groove' I found that it was straightforward and actually, kind of fun. I did make numerous errors, some of which Blogger fixed for me, but for the most part, I was able to look at my 'Edit HTML' and identify the problem. For example, I was having problems with my first task - making something bold - but I had simply forgotten the '/' when ending the command. This took me about ten minutes to spot, but in the end it acted as a great reminder to close all future commands. I discussed my error with my friend Mike, who has a background in Computer Science from the University of Guelph. He said, "It's usually something small and annoying that messes everything up. Then you've wasted hours on it and consumed enough caffeine to kill a small child" ... encouraging!
For me, HTML is like learning a different language (and a different way of forming sentences and instructions). Right now I am embarking on my second attempt to learn French - so, perhaps by Spring 2008 I will be on my way to becoming trilingual. Down the road, I believe we have to make a website for HIS 513 - this is a daunting challenge that I (now, somewhat, kind of, reluctantly, yet happily) welcome with open arms!
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