Public History

How to preserve your photographs and family heirlooms:

2011-01-17T12:15:00.000-08:00

Family history is important to all of us. We all would like to have something to pass down to future generations. Scrapbooking is a great way to collect and present our history. The scrapbooking aisle has everything: beautiful papers, glitter glue, and we love it all, but do you know within fifty years these items will begin to degrade and potentially destroy your treasured memories? Shocking, I know. But don’t worry, this article will teach you how to shop for archival quality materials and how to manage your home collection to museum level standards. In order to maintain a collection there are some things you need to consider: light, temperature/humidity levels, storage and handling.

Light: Your collection should never be kept in direct sunlight. Museums purchase UV filters for lights and windows. Certain items are more susceptible to light damage than others. Everyone’s witnessed curtains that fade from years of light exposure. Fabrics, photographs and paper are most vulnerable to light exposure. For your home collection, it should be kept in a dark place unless it is in use.

Temperature and Humidity: The most damaging effects to a collection are extreme changes in temperature and humidity. Items expand and contract under these conditions causing cracking and irreversible damage. This is why collections should never be kept in attics or basements, as these are the places that experience the most climate change throughout the seasons. Your collection is best kept in a dark closet on one of the main floors of your home.

Storage: If you’re a scrapbooker, this section is for you. Make sure you buy acid free paper, folders, and boxes. Avoid dyes and only use pencil, no pens. Most importantly, be sure to purchase archival quality glue. The wrong glue will eventually eat away your photographs. If you wish to purchase these items they can be ordered online through Carr-Mclean’s, a Toronto based archival company, that supplies museums all over Ontario including, the North America Railway Hall of Fame and the Elgin County Railway Museum, with necessary materials needed to maintain a collection. Some craft shops also supply quality materials.

Handling: It is best to wear white archival gloves when handling photographs and fabrics. The oil from our fingers will react with the fibres and cause them to break down. If you don’t have gloves, avoid contact with the face of the photograph; instead attempt to hold photographs from the edges. With glass and metal, however, it is best not to wear gloves as there is more concern about dropping these items if you don’t get a proper grip. As a rule with fragile items, never pick up the item by a handle that could potentially break off, always support it from the base.

At the North America Railway Hall of Fame we are working to improve the conditions of our collection. Our collection is currently housed in improper storage areas. We have applied for funding to create an artefact storage space in the CASO station. As a historian, I hope to one day see a proper collections area that will not only increase accessibility but will also preserve items relating to railway heritage in St. Thomas for future generations to enjoy. This Christmas, I’d like to wish everyone a safe and happy scrapbooking season.

Melissa Robinson-Darnell MA
Published in the North America Railway Hall of Fame Winter Newsletter

A brief history of tea:

2011-01-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

Our summer teas have come to an end and the North America Railway Hall of Fame would like to thank everyone for joining us. We would also like to thank those in the community who generously donated items to make our teas a success. Tea at the station is all about the experience. Delicate cups and saucers made from ornate bone china, tea towels, a beautifully set table with flower arrangements, and desserts are all important elements to the tea drinking experience. High tea is usually served at 2pm and is very much a social occasion, but what are the origins of this tradition?

History credits the discovery of tea to Shen Nung, the second emperor of China who discovered tea when tea leaves blew into his cup of hot water. It wasn’t until 1589, that Europeans learned of tea drinking when a Venetian author sites tea as the source of Asian vitality. Tea drinking really took hold in Western society in about 1650. This is the time period when tea parties became popular among women. I was shocked to learn of the cost of tea in early trade. In the 1600’s tea sold for 80-100 dollars per pound! In 1662, Charles II introduced tea drinking to Queen Catherine Braganza and tea became so popular, that alcohol consumption dropped. By the 1800’s the East India Trading Company supplied Britain with more than 9 million cups of tea per year and tea was the most popular beverage among the colonies. We loved hosting tea for you at the station and we hope to see you again next year.

Melissa Darnell
Published in the North America Railway Hall of Fame Fall Newsletter

The Creation of a Historical Database and Geomapping Project

2010-01-30T09:02:00.000-08:00

This post may be interesting if you're also working on a similar project.

Over the past year, I had the pleasure of working for the Promise Land Project. I was involved with completing the database and creating a geomapping project. It contains all information from the original land record books for the Dresden Ontario area, dating from the 1840's until 1901. It is the goal that these tools will provide researchers with a visual understanding of the history and it may provide further insight into African Canadian history.

Designing the database

The database was designed to maintain the integrity of the original records holding to the "protect the fonds" theory of archival management. The main benefit of this database is that it is searchable.

The design of the database included: City, Area, Plan Number, Lot Number, Page Number, Guarantor (first, middle and last name, occupation, name code) Guarantee (first, middle and last name, occupation, name code), Lands, Instrument, Instrument Date, Registration Date, Book, Folio Number, Registration Number, Dollar or Pound amounts, and Lot Notes. These fields in the database all represent columns in the original land records books. The database was also structured according to books. Each land record book was given a tab and the database and page numbers were added. This way, researchers can easily refer to the original records without any trouble. In creating separate tabs for each book and including the page numbers, the information was organized in a very clear way and anyone without a research background can easily manoeuvre the data without difficulty.

Technical Challenges

The original database was created using Open Access Base and it became clear that Base would not be compatible with the GIS mapping software Arcmap. In order for the database to talk to the map it needed to first be converted into Microsoft Excel.
Not only would Excel be compatible with the mapping software, Excel has many other benefits over Open Access Base. Excel is overall a more powerful program and it can easily handle large amounts of data without slowing down. It has more features which make it both easier to use and provide more options to the user. For example, Excel provides the option to freeze panes, in doing so selected columns can always be visible. This makes it easier to input data if the column headings are always visible. Base did not offer this feature.

After conducting research online, my co-worker was able to convert the database into Excel; however, Excel did not recognize any of the numbers in the database including the dates or land costs. This information would all need to be re-entered by hand, as it became clear that there was no other way to accomplish this using any other method, even the copy and paste method would not recognize the numbers from Base. The only way to correct this conversion problem was to re-enter manually, every date and dollar amount. First, middle and last names also needed to be re entered into separate fields, that had originally shared the same field.

The use of name codes, were also introduced into the database. This was done because the original writing in the land record books was often difficult to read due to the flowery writing of the time. The code 1 was used to represent names that we were, almost certain to contain no errors, and the number 99, was used when errors in the name were suspected. This way, users could easily identify where there may be problems with the data and use their own judgement and knowledge of family names to recognize individuals despite potential inputting errors in the database. Name codes will also be a useful way for project partners to quickly refer to problem names and use their knowledge from research and by referring to the original records to correct any errors.

With the database complete data transcribing policies were created which outlined the methods used for designing and maintaining the database.

Geomapping Project

I then used this database to create a geomapping project in Arcmap. For the purposes of this project, I took the original plans, scanned them, and placed them in Arcmap. I then needed to provide them with spatial references and georeference them with a satellite image of the area. I then created a shapefile and with this shapefile, I was able to give each lot its own identity in the program, that I could then label with the appropriate lot and plan number. With this information in the program I could then join the information in the database with the map.

Project Uses

With these tools, which will be made available online, researchers will be able to search the database for particular historical figures or even family members. The mapping project will present the data visualy and may provide historians with new insights.

Note

Accuracy, is the most important thing when creating a database. Data entry is tedious and needs to be done meticulously; any error can undermine the integrity of the data, which is why it is important to give it the time that it needs.

Jemima Williams

2010-01-30T08:20:00.000-08:00

"Jemima Williams with School Children 1859"
Mission to Fugitive Slaves in Canada: Being a Branch of the Operations of the Colonial Church and School Society . . . 1858-9.
[London]: Society's Offices, 1859.

In the wake of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, which forced Northern law enforcement officers to aid in the recapture of runaways, more than ten thousand fugitive slaves fled to Canada. In response the Colonial Church and School Society established a mission school in London Ontario for children of fugitive slaves but open to all. The school was started by Thomas Hughes and Jemima Williams was appointed the school's Mistress. Williams, noted that their success proves the "feasibility of educating together white and colored children." http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart3b.html

Christ Church, Dresden Ontario

2010-01-30T08:06:00.000-08:00

Christ Church, Dresden Ontario. (Dresden is a cute little town in you're ever in the area.)
Marking its 150th anniversary as a congregation in 2009, Christ Church, in Dresden, Ontario has a rich history to celebrate. In the 1850s, Dresden was home to a powerful black abolitionist community and was a centre of the anti-slavery network in Canada West. As an anti-slavery mission founded by the Church of England’s Colonial Church and School Society, Christ Church was built on the principle of racial equality and integration. Mission schoolmaster and Christ Church founder, Reverend Thomas Hughes put it best: “All children are of one common Father, why should we not worship together at all times?”
Research on Christ Church and the abolitionist culture of 19th-century Dresden is supported by the Promised Land Community-University Research Alliance, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. For more information visit www.huronuc.ca/about_huron/the_promised_land_project_plp/

Accessibility of Digital Exhibits

2009-04-29T22:23:00.001-07:00

I would never have suspected that digital exhibits could be within reach of small, low budget museums. Over the course of a school year, my digital history class at Western proved just that. We were able to produce five, high quality digital exhibits, without the need for a big budget. These exhibits were put together with the use of programming, arduino boards, smart boards, models, open access software and a lot of trial and error. The material used was not expensive and the technology was accessible. What I found most surprising is that you didn't need to be a computer programmer to create a digital exhibit. Anyone can do it, if they take the time to learn how. The most successful exhibits were the ones that were interactive, quick, and fun. I hope that I have the opportunity in my career to create another interactive digital exhibit.

Working Class Hero

2009-04-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

Technology, throughout history has had the power to change the economic structure. The industrial revolution is a perfect example. By introducing mass production with the use of new machines, and cheap unskilled labour, factories were able to undercut many of the tradesmen of the day putting them out of work.

Today human labour continues to be challenged by new technologies as more and more jobs become obsolete at the hand of advancement. In recent years the self check out lines were introduced at Wal-Mart. These self check out lines, eliminate the need for a cashier. Internet banking is another example, which eliminates the need for bank tellers or in some cases a bank location in general.

One could argue that these new technologies are taking away jobs but, it is also giving someone's life back. Technology has the power to free us from meaningless employment and gives us the opportunity to peruse greater endeavours. If only it were so easy to adjust the economic structure to accommodate new technology as it arises so that it is not eliminating employment but is actually working for us.

Digital History and the Evolving Historian

2009-04-29T20:13:00.000-07:00

The digital age knows no borders even in the world of academia. It has crossed disciplines bringing with it possibility and change to every field. Even the study of history is profoundly impacted by the digital age. Historians now have new tools, to collect, present, and interpret information.

Take for instance traditional versus modern research methods. The digital age has revolutionized the the field of library and information science and with it the our methods of collecting and accessing information. Accessibility to information has been completely transformed by the digital age. We now live in a world of Keyword searches, free online articles and books, even the contents of books are searchable. This means that a historian will now be able to access and sift through more information and may be able to create a more thorough examination.

The digital world has also provided a new way of presenting information. Online exhibits and web based reference tools offer online access to primary source documents.

Information can now even be interpreted in new ways, thanks to the digital age. Geomapping is the perfect example of how history is incorporating the use of technology in the writing of history. Geomapping is the process of mapping historical events in the hopes that links with show themselves, if they are revealed visually. Such connections will surely add more to the historic narrative. For example geomapping can be used to show the geographic spread of ideas or objects. This sort of information reveals trade routes although much more can be learned from studying these searchable maps and can reveal many more important historic clues.

Historians may be able to provide a better insight into history by making use of digital tools.

Weddings and Historic Sites

2009-04-29T19:53:00.001-07:00

My fiancé and I are in the process of planning our wedding. We wanted a wedding that would reflect who we are as a couple and at a place that is memorable to us.

Then we decided on the Prince of Wales Hotel, located in historic downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake. This hotel was named in honour of the royal visit of future King George the V of England, in 1901. The Prince of Wales' rich history, and gilded Victorian architecture will provide the perfect atmosphere for a truly classic and elegant event. It seemed natural for us to choose a historic site for our wedding as we are both history students and the Niagara area also has fond memories for us.

In my research, I discovered that there are many historic sites that also serve as venues for weddings and special occasions. Here in London, Fanshawe Pioneer Village hosts many weddings each year. Ceremonies at the Pioneer Village, take place at the historic church on site and the receptions are held at the lodge. Museum London also caters to weddings.

I found reception halls to be somewhat cold and lacked that intrigue that a historic site can bring to an event. I'm looking forward to researching the history of the Prince of Wales Hotel and including it in the invitation package. Though we may include some historic elements in the wedding planning, it will still be modern. As the wedding coordinator of the Prince of Wales hotel explained, "Just because a wedding is taking place at a historic site, doesn't mean that it needs to be a themed wedding. It can still be classic and modern."

Historic Scenery

2009-04-02T04:37:00.000-07:00

Landscapes tell their own history and can reveal evidence about the past through the interpretation of human interaction with the land. Landscapes can change drastically with time. I have witnessed immense change to the surroundings of a historic site just in my lifetime, due to urban development. The Dionne Quintuplet museum was moved from its original site in Callander Ontario and placed in the City of North Bay. Though not in its original location, visitors could still imagine this as a country home because of the green space and forest surrounding it. Then about 5 years ago a road was built behind the museum and a Home Depot, 5 storey hotel and parking lot completely destroyed the setting. Now visitors are not able to picture how the historic site would have looked amid all the urban development. The Dionne’s would have had a large property with a farm and their neighbours would have been far down the road. With a hotel parking lot encroaching almost on their front door it is difficult to picture the country lifestyle of this family.

New York City has the best examples of seemingly misplaced historic buildings. Trinity Church was once the tallest structure in New York and now this gothic church is completely dwarfed by modern skyscrapers. The juxtaposition is quite poetic. When I first saw this site it triggered my imagination as to how this area would have looked in 1846 when the church was first built.

I believe it is important to have context in order to better understand historic sites and positioning and landscape is an important part of this context. As public historians we must attempt to maintain historic scenery in some way if possible. If this is not possible some information should be provided to visitors about the change that has occurred to the landscape over time. Glassburg in his article "interpreting landscapes" outlines ways that historic sites can maintain their historic surroundings. Historic sites can simply purchase the land surrounding their site. One such example is George Washington's home at Mount Vernon. This task "required curtailing modern development not only on what had been Washington's property, but also on the lands across the Potomac River visible from the site". pg 30 If this kind of money is not in the budget there are other ways to accomplish this through the use of planning tools. One can designate the site a local historic district or place a conservation easement on the area. In rural areas it may be possible to zone the area for agricultural use thus eliminating commercial or residential use.

The park movement of the 1800's speaks to the desire to maintain these natural settings and even more interestingly, the desire to shape even these settings to fit human needs and ideals. Central park designed by Fredrick Olmstead for example, is a beautiful green space but it is not natural in any sense. The park is highly maintained and evidence of human intervention is everywhere with the presence of paths, fountains, cultivated plants, trees and flowers and of course the only animals aside from squires and birds are contains in the zoo. The National Parks though somewhat more natural can still be criticised for catering to human clients. Yellowstone National park for instance is filled with wildlife except for wolves. These sites are examples of the "constructed wilderness" concept, raised in Rebecca Conrad's article “Spading Common Ground".

Conrad argues that the main obsticle to landscape preservation is resource experts imposed differentiation between "natural" and "built". It is easy to recognize the significance of a historic building although it is more difficult to see the importance of historic scenery or historic spaces such as battle sites or simply the historic significance of uncultivated land. We are alienating ourselves from the past if we do not recognize the importance of the historic landscape.

Based on Readings:

-Conard, Rebecca. “Spading Common Ground.” Public History and the Environment. Ed. Martin V.
Melosi and Philip V. Scarpino. Florida: Krieger, 2004, 3-22.

-Glassberg, David. “Interpreting Landscapes.” Public History and the Environment. Ed. Martin V. Melosi
and Philip V. Scarpino. Florida: Krieger, 2004, 23-36.

You want a Public Historian

2009-03-29T14:22:00.001-07:00

As a discipline, Public History is about making history accessible to the public. I think the best way to define public history is to know where the public historian can be found. They typically dwell in museums caring for artefacts, producing displays, performing administrative tasks, and liaising with the public. Although this is not the only place public historians can be found. There are many non traditional jobs for public historians and well jobs that I didn't even know existed. Did you know that public historians are great at freelance historic journalism? They are useful as heritage planners, documentary and film consultants, potentially historic novelists, educators, archivists, entrepreneurs or even in government. Public Historians are well known for their adaptability, creativity and productivity. So if you have a job involving history, you want a public historian.

The Bridge of Dreams

2009-03-29T13:40:00.000-07:00

In 2005, I had the opportunity to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and I quickly realized that it was more than just a bridge. It was a tremendous architectural success and I began to wonder about its history and the impact that this bridge would have had on average New Yorkers. I decided to do some research and this is what I discovered.
The concept for the Brooklyn Bridge arose in the early nineteenth century when New Yorkers began dreaming of a bridge to connect them with America, no one imagined the spectacle it would become. With its mixture of neo-gothic towers, steal spans and cables, Brooklyn Bridge has stood between the shores of the East River for over a hundred and twenty five years.
The construction of the Bridge was indeed a triumph of design and skill. At a time when one in every five bridges collapsed, Brooklyn Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world. Its granite towers were the largest structures ever built on the North American continent. Its construction was sought with many challenges and came at high finial and human cost. In order to construct the base of the bridge workers were lowered in Caissons, which were large wooden chambers that acted much like a cup flipped upside down and placed in water. The caissons were pressurized and kept the water out so workers could dig on the bed rock of the East River and lay the foundations for the Bridge. Many fell ill and died from what came to be known as Caissons Disease caused by ascending too rapidly from a place of high pressure, today this is commonly known as the Bends. Workers would have suffered from violent cramps, dizziness, vomiting, migraines, extreme fatigue, loss of sight and the loss of feeling in both arms and legs. With the caissons and other dangers of the job the bridge would claim approximately twenty seven lives, including its creator John Roebling.
After fourteen years of waiting and costing an astounding $14 million dollars, New Yorkers celebrated its opening day on May 24, 1883. This event drew close to 150,000 people who waited through the speeches so they may pay the one cent toll to cross the bridge for the first time.
No one could have predicted the tremendous impact of the Brooklyn Bridge for New Yorkers at the turn of the twenty first century. Connecting the island of New York with the main land alleviated much of the overcrowding in the city, greatly enhancing the lives of average New Yorkers. Workers could now find affordable and spacious living conditions in Brooklyn while still retaining their jobs in the city.
The Brooklyn Bridge is still open to pedestrians today, so if you are ever in New York City take some time to cross this bridge and experience its rich history.

RFID chips and Spimes

2009-03-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

Imagine a world where everything is on the internet, as suggested by Sean Dodson, in his article "The Internet of Things". The technology exists to place these RFID chips and Spimes, in everyday objects and even in people. But what kind of implications could this have?

Not only could these chips make history with their profound and far reaching impact to the world around them. Imagine the effects on the consumer culture. These chips could be used to increase consumer convenience, predictability and in the end consumer satisfaction. For business, this technology would provide ultimate and valuable market research and would translate into larger and larger profits. This technology could better our lives or offer us a world of even more reduced liberties. Will we as a member of society, give up a little more of our liberty, in exchange for the benefits offered to us by our ever more encroaching society?

There is still one more issue I would like to bring up as a historian. I’m interested to know what effect this technology would have on historiography.
Imagine a historian is in the process of writing a historical biography. In the modern world there are already ample records to sift through when attempting to thoroughly understand a subject; in recent history, there are governmental, personal, even corporate records to choose from. Now imagine a world with RFID chips. There would be endless amounts of data. Even if the individual does not have an RFID chip themselves, if every object around every person does, it would be possible to recreate the entire world a person lived in based on their interactions with objects in the world. These every day objects would have a complete provenance on record. One would know the location and history of the objects throughout their existence and could essentially use this information to track movements and actions of historical events and figures. With these objects also recording and transmitting this information it could be accessible and stored for possibly eternity in the archives of the internet. It would stand to reason that such useful and potentially profitable information would not just end with the destruction of the object, it’s more likely that this information would be stored for future research and reference purposes. Historians could access this information and have to ability to recreate the actions of every person during every event in modern history simply by accessing the logs of nearby objects. Such ability would offer historians a truly new tool to examine history. To assign a neologism, It would be possible to have almost total-micro history. With this type of technology, the only mystery left to the historian would be access to the actual mind of the subject. Who knows where technology will take us next.

Promise Land Project and Symposium

2009-03-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

This summer I'll have the opportunity to join the Promise Land Project as a research assistant under the direction of Dr Nina Reid Maroney of Huron College. The project I'm part of is a five-year $997,784 Community University Research Alliance (CURA) grant from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for work on the significance of black history in the Promised Land communities. It is a collaborative venture involving both universities and the community.

As a wonderful orientation to the project, I was invited to attend the Promise Land Symposium which took place on March 13 to the 15th 2009, at St Clair College in Chatham Ontario. During this event I was able to meet the project team which includes both national and international researchers and supporters. I had the opportunity to meet and listen to lectures from Dr. Boulou Ebanda de B’béri from the University of Ottawa, Marie Carter of the Dresden Community, and Devin Andrews project coordinator among many other talented and dedicated team members.

This event was an opportunity for those involved in the project and the public to share their research and thoughts on the anti slavery movement of South-western Ontario in the Nineteenth Century as well as contemporary issues of cultural identity.

For my contribution over the summer, I will be completing the database of African American Canadian land settlement in South Western Ontario, work which began last year. Once this is complete I will transfer this data to a geo mapping program. The idea behind this project, is that links and connections will show themselves if they are presented visually and spatially though mapping.

If anyone is interested in learning more about the abolitionist movement in South-western Ontario I have put a display together at Huron College. It is located in the basement of the Administration wing across from the Huron Diocese Archives. And will be there to view until next month.

The Meaning Behind Accession Numbers

2009-02-09T11:29:00.000-08:00

I've decided to create my own Snow Globe Museum in order to demonstrait the use of accesssion numbers for museum artefacts. I hope you enjoy the tour.

The accession numbers I’ve given to these snow globes provide information in themselves about the artifacts. The first number is the year the object was accessioned into the museum. For instance these snow globes were acquired in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The second number refers the order they were accessioned that year. For instance, if the accession number indicates 01 as the second number, this means the item was the first artifact acquired that year. If the accession number is 02 this means it was the second artifact acquired that year and so on. The last number refers to the number of items in that acquisition. If there were multiple items acquired at the same time and part of the same collection or provenance then further numbers would be indicated to represent the different items in that acquisition. Some times artifacts also have parts. For instance a tea pot has two components a pot and a lid. These items would be further identified by issuing the letter A for the lid and B for the pot. These letters would be placed at the end of the accession number. For instance, if this item were in two parts their succession numbers would be 2009.02.1.a and 2009.02.1.b. Although there are various ways to number artifacts this is the most commonly used method.

Melissa's Snow Globe Museum

Artifact Number 2007.01.1
Name: Snow Globe of Chateau Frontenac
Measurements: 10 cm height 7 cm width
Condition: New
History of Artifact: This item was acquired as a souvenir from Quebec City on November 20 2007.

Artifact Number 2008.01.1
Name: Snow Globe of Angel
Measurements: 10 cm height 8 cm width
Condition: New
History of Artifact: This item was a gift

Artifact Number 2009.01.1
Name: Snow Globe of Labrador Puppy
Measurements: 10cm height 7 cm width
Condition: Damaged
History of Artifact: Christmas Gift

Artifact Number 2009.02.1
Name: Snow Globe of Ducks in Nature
Measurements: 14 cm height by 10 cm width
Condition: New
History of Artifact: This item was bought on sale at Wal-Mart in January 2009

Crowdsourcing

2009-01-24T14:09:00.000-08:00

I recently read an artical for class entitled "Collective Intelligence vs the Wisdom of Crowds" by Henry Jenkins about crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing suggests that a group will always be smarter than the individual, as all individuals will bring different experiences and wisdom that as a collective will always make them smarter than the individual. It was proposed by Henry Jenkins that perhaps video games can be designed to make use of the collective wisdom of groups and used as a way to solve real world problems. The article proposed that the game Sim City could be used for city planning and policy writing and could potentially offer solutions based on the ideas of average game players that would be better than those proposed by professional city planners and policy writers. Though it can be argued that a game cannot ever truly represent the world and, therefore, how would we know that policies that would work in the game would work in real life? Despite this a game that could gather this information would in the least offer market research that could be useful in the design of real world solutions.

Museum Buildings: Historic or Modern?

2009-01-24T13:17:00.000-08:00

Is it best for a museum to be located in a modern or a historic building?

Modern buildings specifically built with the purpose of serving as a museum are best equiped to house artifacts. There is not the concerns of humidity, bad wireing, ventelation and other problems that often accompany an older building. Modern buildings are also designed to showcase artifacts so they are often easier to work with when laying out exhibits. I believe the Guggenheim and the Moma are great examples of well designed museums. The Guggenheim offers visitor a wonderful flow to the exhibits with it's archetecture. Visitors are prompted by the layout of the building to follow the art work in a spiral from the bottom all the way to the top. This allows visitors to see the art work in a specific order and there is no interuption in the experience as there is no need to leave one room to enter another. The Moma was wonderful just for its simplicity and space. The artwork is not crowded and there is plenty of room to take a step back and admire the artwork. For a Canadian example Canada's National War Museum recently built in Ottawa is a wonderful example of a museum building designed specifically to accomodate the needs of the museum and it's collection. It's large glass wing with high ceilings is perfect for displaying the large tanks and war equipment that would not be possible to be displayed in a regular building. Purpose built museums are wonderful for the safety of the artifacts and for the freedom that it offers the museum to be able to display the objects required to tell the story of the curators.

With this in mind there is also intrinsic value in visiting a museum that is itself an artifact from the past. An older building also places the artifacts in context especially if the building is tied into the history of the collection. Many small museums are housed in historic buildings. For instance the Dionne Quintuplet Museum in North Bay Ontario is housed in the origional farmhouse where the Dionne Quintuplets were born. The old farmhouse is set up to look the way it did when the Dionnes Lived there in the 1930's with origional furniture and items belonging to the family. The building is just as important to the story as the artifacts housed inside. As a visitor to the museum you are able to imagine the story of the Dionne Quints in a more realistic light as walking in their origional home gives insite into their lives. The Elden House, a local museum in London Ontario, is another example where an origional building was turned into a museum to tell the story of the origional owners of the home. Visitors to the Elden House are able to step into the past as the home is set up to look the way it did in 1850 when the origional owners occupied the home.

Both the purpose built and historic homes turned museum both have their own unique values. If only it were possible to build a modern museum large enough to house the historic buildings, preserving them, and allowing them to tell their story along with the other artifacts.

Events and Museums a Perfect Match

2009-01-11T08:46:00.000-08:00

Events can be used in a variety of ways that are beneficial to museums large or small. Museums face many common challenges such as funding, volunteer recruitment, ways to increase visitor attendance and of course our continuing mandate of finding ways to reach and educate the public. Events are one of the tools that public historians can utilize to help us face these challenges.

Events can be used for fundraising, volunteer recruitment/appreciation, as ways to draw visitors, attract media attention and overall spark interest in your museum.

I would like to draw from personal experience the roles that events played in the management of two small museums in Ontario. The first is a General Store Museum located in Commanda Ontario. Commanda is a very small town just outside of North Bay. This museum has survived due to the ingenuity of its curator Roberta Quinn who was able to make the most use of events and turned her General Store Museum into a gathering place for the community and as an attraction to visitors of cottage country. Despite the population and isolation of this community the Commanda General Store Museum was filled every Thursday night during the summer months. Thursday nights at the Museum were Murder Mystery Dinners preformed by the summer students working at the museum mixed with local talent. On weekends during the summer various special events were held including a Strawberry Jam Festival which featured bands from the area and strawberry themed desserts. This event would take place on the lawn of the museum. There was also a historic quilt show, and many fundraising yard sales that would involve people from the community. Events were used to maximize the potential of the museum and were a great way to attract tourists, draw funds to the museum, attract media attention and as a way to enlist the support of the community.

The next museum I would like to discuss is the Niagara on the Lake Historical Society and Museum. The curator of this museum Clark Bernett also understood the importance of events. This museum holds events year long. Past events are a festival of wreaths fundraiser, historic lecture series, wine and cheese nights, they take part in doors open and as a stop on walking tours of Niagara on the Lake among others.

Museums which hold regular events seem to come alive and gather a great following in the community as a place that is not only a museum but as a social venue and one that makes everyone feel welcome and invested in its successes and development.

If you would like to plan an event for your local museum here are some things to consider:

What is the purpose of the event? What would you like to accomplish?
What sort of event would you like to hold?
If there is to be wine served make sure you secure a special occasions’ permit. An application form can be picked up at any LCBO
Draw up a budget that includes all expenses and use this to determine ticket cost and the minimum number of tickets that need to be sold in order to cover all expenses
Determine what is called a “drop dead date”, this is the date that is set by the event planner, it refers to the date by which a certain number of tickets need to be sold in order to proceed with the event. If not enough tickets are sold by this time it many be necessary to cancel the event.
Make sure to create a timeline for the event which outlines what is to take place and when so the event can run smoothly and everyone involved with the execution of the event is aware of what is to take place.
Because you are holding the event in a museum don’t forget about the artifacts. If food or beverages are to be served make sure that any artifacts that are not under glass are removed for the event. Objects may also need to be moved to create space for guests.
An event is a great way to attract media attention. About a month before an event is about to take place make sure to draw up a brief public service announcement and send it off to local media. Because museums are often non profits it is possible to get free advertising in the what’s happening section of newspapers. It may also be possible to invite media to attend an event and arrange to be interviewed. This is a great way to draw attention to your museum without paying any money for advertising.
The amount of coordination needed to be done especially for larger events can get overwhelming so make sure you start planning for your event a few months in advance especially if it is a new event.
Consider partnerships with other museums, hotels, bed and breakfasts and tourism sites in the area. Sometimes an event package that includes tickets to your event and an overnight stay for example can help you sell tickets through cross advertising and promotion.
If events are to become a regular occurrence at your museum you may wish to invest in linins, dishes, a microform and stand and any other object that you would need to use often instead of renting
Business cards printed out on the computer make great, affordable and professional looking event tickets
Send mass emails to board members and museum members to let them know about the event it is a great way to get free advertising of your target market
Use your imagination to create unique events and clever titles such as death by chocolate murder mystery dinner or historic fusion progressive dinner
Once the event is finished reflect on what went well what could have gone better so the event can be improved in the future. Pay attention to any comments made by guests so you can get insight into what they liked and didn’t like and watch for smiles and if people seem to generally be having a good time or if they keep looking at their watch.
Assign someone to greet everyone at the door when they arrive and thank everyone for coming when they leave
At the end of the event this is a great time to inform everyone about upcoming events, upcoming exhibits and future projects at the museum as you now have access to your target market all in one room so make sure to make use of this opportunity.

Notes MA thesis The London Ontario Asylum for the Insane 1870-1902 by Cheryl Lynn Krasnick 1981

2008-10-05T11:54:00.000-07:00

Dr. Henry Landor first superintendent of London’s Lunatic Asylum in 1869
Attempted to offer good care to his patients although there were many problems: faulty heating, building deteriorated shortly after construction, windows wouldn’t open, smelled bad.
Patients kept a good garden as part of their treatment “occupational therapy”
At a time before modern medication Landlor prescribed alcohol as a treatment to his patients
Idea to the humanity of Dr Landor he wrote The Only Way to Stop the Slave Trade
In the 17th and 18th centuries “mad doctors” operated asylums in Britain they often abused patients and gave asylums bad names
North America did not have the “mad doctors” stigma although they were cautious to appear professional to avoid this label
In the 1850’s superintendence still involved control over every aspect of asylum management and treatment. Landlor had a difficult time adjusting to the governments increased control over asylums and he almost resigned due to this power struggle
Dr Richard Maurice Burke was the second superintendent
He was the first to use a bell telephone for commercial use to call police when a patient escaped
Burke abolished alcohol as a sanative but used opium derivatives
Kept patients clean, fed and busy. He encouraged recreation.
Workers would be discharged if they abused patients
Wages were lower for women at the asylum as was typical at the time period. Women were not seen as primary wage earners and were not seen as being in the workplace for a long period of time
Wages were high for men due to the shortage of male workers in London. The asylum wanted young men not older workers
There were many staff problems of indecency, theft, drunkenness
It was believed that poverty, malnutrition, hardships, immigration caused mental instability
Refrain from too much sex, alcohol, religion moderation was seen as the key to mental health
Only 4% were paying patients
Patients were grouped according to sex and severity of mental illness as it was seen that mental illness could infect less severe patients
On admission patients were categorized according to mania, melancholia, or dementia
During the potato famine Irish Catholics were over represented in the asylum
Landlor prescribed moral treatment care was made to be therapeutic and not coercive
A woman with mania was prescribed good food, wine and exercise
In an experiment done at the hospital Landlor found that by decreasing the amount of alcohol used he found an increase in death rates. 24 instead of 13 dead and 11 cases of scurvy (if patients were getting scurvy something was lacking in their diet and perhaps if patients were given wine, wine would have been providing patients with the lacking nutrients thus preventing them from getting scurvy)
Burke used opium not alcohol. Although it was found to be addictive, less appetite, caused nausea. He prescribed cannabis for sleep
Both superintendents used moral treatments Burke prescribed regular hours, exercise, good food, kindness and firmness. Music, dancing, walks, cricket.
Burke believed that working diverted the mind from insanity.
Asylums at this time used restraints straight jackets, mittens, muffs, wristlets and the more severe crib bed.
Burke abolished restraints in 1883 which was a progressive move
If a patient ran away but was doing well they didn’t recapture the patient. If the patient as captured they were not punished just placed in the main building
The goal of asylums was to cure patients so releasing them was seen as a goal
Masturbation was seen as the cause of insanity. The theory was that during sex blood rushed to the head causing damage to nerves in the brain. Masturbation was worse at a young age.
The asylum did have some success as a curative hospital despite overcrowding and low budget
Landlors approach was seen as pragmatic
Burkes was seen as experimental
Both used moral treatment with little restraint

Google the Modern Library of Alexandria

2008-10-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

Google the Modern Library of Alexandria

For the past 7 years Google has been in the process of creating a universal library. One of their projects is called the Google book search and will make full text books available online which are not copyright protected. Their other project is called The Google Library Project which is in the process of digitalizing as many books as possible by working with great libraries around the world including the New York Public Library where currently one million books are being scanned.

Anthony Grafton in his article entitled Digitalization and its Discontents compares the Google Book project with the Library of Alexandria. The Library of Alexandria was founded at around 320 BC by Ptolomy I. It was meant to be a complete collection of Greek works. It was rumoured that when ships docked in Alexandria they were searched for scrolls and any that were found were taken to the library which would keep the originals and return copies to the owners of the scrolls, very similar to the process of acquisition prescribed to by Google. It was said that the Alexandrian library once contained over a half million scrolls. One of the head librarians, Eratosthenes, used the information in these scrolls and books to estimate the circumfrance of the Earth, and was correct within a hundred miles. In order to manage all this data the scrolls were organized alphabetically for the first time. The Library was destroyed somehow by fire around 25 BC at a great tragedy to humankind for the loss of original manuscripts.

Google’s universal library does bring up issues of copyright although at the same time they are also preserving books, some of which are out of print and they are making these books available online for free, for anyone to access on their home computers. If Google is able to make these online books searchable for key terms I believe this will be the most revolutionary thing to happen to the universal library since alphabetization at Alexandria. Just as Eratosthenes used the resources of his library to accomplish higher aims so will Google allow people to do the same.

If you would like to learn more about the Google Library Project I suggest you watch the documentary entitled Google 2015.