If you could meet any historical figure(s), who would it be and why? This question is a fun icebreaker that will get people thinking. I would love to hear some responses!
My picks would be Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. I have always found the Tudors to be truly fascinating. I loved The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory and the first two seasons of "The Tudors." Having read fictionalized versions and some historical books, I have always had so many questions for these three individuals. My main question for Catherine of Aragon would be about her marriage to Henry VIII's older brother Arthur. The grounds for Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII's divorce is that Katherine of Aragon's marriage to Arthur was consummated. Catherine said from the beginning that she had never had consummated her relationship. I would like to know what the truth was. Did Arthur tell her to lie? Catherine was a devout Catholic so it is possible that she was telling the truth, but on the other hand, by lying she would be able to stay in the country she called home since she was a girl.
Anne Boleyn is either portrayed as a good woman or an evil witch. There is really no in between. I would first like to know the truth about her personality. My belief is that she is something somewhere between the two. She lived in a time where men controlled women and I think she did the best she could do. There are many rumors that have swirled around her and I want to know if any of them are true. Did she really marry someone in secret that her parents had annulled? Did she really have an affair while she was married to Henry VIII?
Henry VIII is a figure larger than life. Because of his relationship Anne Boleyn, he changed the religion of England forever. Did he ever truly love any of his wife? Does he regret what he did? Was it worth it in the end?
These are questions I like to ponder from time to time. So, what historical figure(s) would you like to talk to and why? I would love to read some response.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
J Edgar Hoover
The other night, I went with my family and a friend to see Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar. As a history lover, I enjoy going to see historical films. Now that I'm in my public history degree, I've started to look at those movies in a different way. A few things you need to know about the movie: it is over two hours and is very slow. The movie is well acted but there is not very much action. For general information on the movie, visit IMDb. If you are a movie fan, IMDb is the website for you.
Before seeing the movie, I did not know very much about J. Edgar Hoover. For instance, I have always heard the rumor that he was a gay/cross dresser but that was about it. As a side note, the movie discusses his homosexuality but this can neither be confirmed or denied because he was a very private man and he lived in a time where an open gay man would have had his career ruined. This is something that will be speculated for years to come and we will never know the true answer.
The movie focuses on Hoover's relationship with his mother, his second hand man Clyde Tolson, the presidents and his personal secretary Helen Gandy. Hoover had a very close relationship with all of these people. Helen Gandy was his personal secretary for his entire career and one of the only people she ever trusted. Throughout the movie, Hoover has his personal file. At the end of the movie, after he has passed, they showed Gandy shredding his personal files. I couldn't help but want to go through the screen to stop her. Those files would be so valuable to look at and to get an understanding of Hoover as a person. Also at the end of the film, there is a note about Hoover and Tolson but no note about what happened to Gandy after Hoover's death. As a viewer, I was intrigued by her story and was disappointed to not see anything about her.
As public historians, what is our role in these movies? Should we take them for what they are, entertainment? Or should we be there helping make the movie as accurate as possible? Or one last possibility, should we help make it somewhere in between? As a history lover and a movie lover, I continue to ponder these questions. I am willing to accept inaccuracies as long as the movie gets the theme correct. Also, I hope that people will be interested in the topic or person and pick up a book to learn more.
To learn more about J Edgar Hoover, visit the Wikipedia site or the Official FBI site. Remember, the more you read, the more you learn!
And to all of you out there, have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
Before seeing the movie, I did not know very much about J. Edgar Hoover. For instance, I have always heard the rumor that he was a gay/cross dresser but that was about it. As a side note, the movie discusses his homosexuality but this can neither be confirmed or denied because he was a very private man and he lived in a time where an open gay man would have had his career ruined. This is something that will be speculated for years to come and we will never know the true answer.
The movie focuses on Hoover's relationship with his mother, his second hand man Clyde Tolson, the presidents and his personal secretary Helen Gandy. Hoover had a very close relationship with all of these people. Helen Gandy was his personal secretary for his entire career and one of the only people she ever trusted. Throughout the movie, Hoover has his personal file. At the end of the movie, after he has passed, they showed Gandy shredding his personal files. I couldn't help but want to go through the screen to stop her. Those files would be so valuable to look at and to get an understanding of Hoover as a person. Also at the end of the film, there is a note about Hoover and Tolson but no note about what happened to Gandy after Hoover's death. As a viewer, I was intrigued by her story and was disappointed to not see anything about her.
As public historians, what is our role in these movies? Should we take them for what they are, entertainment? Or should we be there helping make the movie as accurate as possible? Or one last possibility, should we help make it somewhere in between? As a history lover and a movie lover, I continue to ponder these questions. I am willing to accept inaccuracies as long as the movie gets the theme correct. Also, I hope that people will be interested in the topic or person and pick up a book to learn more.
To learn more about J Edgar Hoover, visit the Wikipedia site or the Official FBI site. Remember, the more you read, the more you learn!
And to all of you out there, have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
This past weekend, my boyfriend and I went to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. It is located by Lake Erie and is open daily 10-5:30 and Wednesdays until 9 pm. Pictures are not permitted to be taken in the exhibits. Regular admission price is $22 for adults but there are different discounts available. For more information, check out the website. http://rockhall.com/
Before you go to the museum, there are a few things you need to be aware of. First the museums is huge so prepare for a lot of walking and wear comfortable shoes. Depending on when you go, be prepared to be around crowds. I went on a Saturday and so it was busy. Also, each exhibit has a lot of reading. If you like to take your time and not deal with crowds, I would suggest going during the week.
The reason I wanted to go is because there is an exhibit called "Women Who Rock." The exhibit includes costumes from Madonna, Lady Gaga, Brittney Spears, Shakira and Joan Jett to name a few. For many people when you think of music, you don't always think of women. This exhibit lets the visitor see costumes from the early days of rock to costumes from today. The newest object to the exhibit is Lady Gaga's "meat dress" from the 2010 Video Music Awards. I do like some of Lady Gaga's music so I was curious to see what the dress looked like in person. It was smaller than I thought and it was disturbing. But, Lady Gaga does things like this to get noticed and she has made a huge impact on music. Some would even call her the modern Madonna.
In other exhibits, there were so many artifacts a music fan would be in love. There were many guitars throughout the museum and it interesting to see how they have changed since the 1950s. I was most awestruck by Kurt Cobain's guitar. Say what you will about him, but he was a true artist. I was humbled by everything I saw and couldn't help but wonder how music continues to evolve. Another thing I was thrilled to see was Michael Jackson's Thriller jacket and a Thriller mask he used on tour. I am such a huge fan of his music that I couldn't help but gasp when I saw the real jacket. Another thing that I found amazing was how many artist had handwritten lyrics to songs on display. It made me wonder what John Lennon or Jimi Hendrix had been thinking when they wrote their songs.
There are a few things I would like to change about the museum. First the museum is not very interactive. In my Public History course, we have learned about different ways to make museums interested. Because the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is so massive, I know it is hard to staff but I would have like to see more people roaming around so that patrons can ask questions if they would like. Also, there is an exhibit that shows how listening has changed where see items from different decades but you are not able to see how they work or how they sound. It would be beneficial to patrons to be able to touch and/or hear the differences. It would also be interesting to have an exhibit on different technology/instruments that could be interactive. For instance, I would put multiple guitars and lets visitors strum them to hear a difference in sounds. This would help patrons see how the different sounds led to different music. The other thing I would like to change is the set up of the exhibits. As I stated at the beginning of the blog, there is a lot of reading. It can be difficult for patrons to read everything because there is so much there. Right away I would want to change the font size of the signs. For as much reading as there is, the bigger size would make it easier for the patrons to read. Another thing I would like to add is some information about why the specific artifacts were chosen. Artists have donated many items and so the museum has a lot of items to chose from. While I know this could take up room, I would find it to be beneficial. If the museum does not want to add that information to the signs, they could put signs throughout the museums directing patrons to the website.
While there are some things I would change about the museum, I overall enjoyed the atmosphere. If you are a music lover, this museum is the place for you. When you are at the museum, you get a sense of how music has made an impact on your life and society.
Before you go to the museum, there are a few things you need to be aware of. First the museums is huge so prepare for a lot of walking and wear comfortable shoes. Depending on when you go, be prepared to be around crowds. I went on a Saturday and so it was busy. Also, each exhibit has a lot of reading. If you like to take your time and not deal with crowds, I would suggest going during the week.
The reason I wanted to go is because there is an exhibit called "Women Who Rock." The exhibit includes costumes from Madonna, Lady Gaga, Brittney Spears, Shakira and Joan Jett to name a few. For many people when you think of music, you don't always think of women. This exhibit lets the visitor see costumes from the early days of rock to costumes from today. The newest object to the exhibit is Lady Gaga's "meat dress" from the 2010 Video Music Awards. I do like some of Lady Gaga's music so I was curious to see what the dress looked like in person. It was smaller than I thought and it was disturbing. But, Lady Gaga does things like this to get noticed and she has made a huge impact on music. Some would even call her the modern Madonna.
In other exhibits, there were so many artifacts a music fan would be in love. There were many guitars throughout the museum and it interesting to see how they have changed since the 1950s. I was most awestruck by Kurt Cobain's guitar. Say what you will about him, but he was a true artist. I was humbled by everything I saw and couldn't help but wonder how music continues to evolve. Another thing I was thrilled to see was Michael Jackson's Thriller jacket and a Thriller mask he used on tour. I am such a huge fan of his music that I couldn't help but gasp when I saw the real jacket. Another thing that I found amazing was how many artist had handwritten lyrics to songs on display. It made me wonder what John Lennon or Jimi Hendrix had been thinking when they wrote their songs.
There are a few things I would like to change about the museum. First the museum is not very interactive. In my Public History course, we have learned about different ways to make museums interested. Because the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is so massive, I know it is hard to staff but I would have like to see more people roaming around so that patrons can ask questions if they would like. Also, there is an exhibit that shows how listening has changed where see items from different decades but you are not able to see how they work or how they sound. It would be beneficial to patrons to be able to touch and/or hear the differences. It would also be interesting to have an exhibit on different technology/instruments that could be interactive. For instance, I would put multiple guitars and lets visitors strum them to hear a difference in sounds. This would help patrons see how the different sounds led to different music. The other thing I would like to change is the set up of the exhibits. As I stated at the beginning of the blog, there is a lot of reading. It can be difficult for patrons to read everything because there is so much there. Right away I would want to change the font size of the signs. For as much reading as there is, the bigger size would make it easier for the patrons to read. Another thing I would like to add is some information about why the specific artifacts were chosen. Artists have donated many items and so the museum has a lot of items to chose from. While I know this could take up room, I would find it to be beneficial. If the museum does not want to add that information to the signs, they could put signs throughout the museums directing patrons to the website.
While there are some things I would change about the museum, I overall enjoyed the atmosphere. If you are a music lover, this museum is the place for you. When you are at the museum, you get a sense of how music has made an impact on your life and society.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Quarter's End
The Wednesday will be the close to my quarter as a graduate student in the public history department with Wright State University. I am thrilled with my decision to go back to school and am generally loving every minute of it. While I have struggled writing papers, I know that next quarter will be easier since I am back in the swing of things.
I wanted to say I have learned so much about the public history field this quarter and I am excited to learn more about it in the following quarters. Introduction to Archives and Introduction to Public History has given me a beginners knowledge that I will continue to use as I finish school and pursue my career. Before taking Intro to Archives, I would have never thought about being a corporate archivist but it sound interested. I believe I will end up going to the museum route but never say never.
And as for you dear readers, if you have any questions, ask them. Has my blog gotten you interested in the Public History program? If so, do you know where to look? I am more than willing to give information if anybody would like to know more. Until next time.
I wanted to say I have learned so much about the public history field this quarter and I am excited to learn more about it in the following quarters. Introduction to Archives and Introduction to Public History has given me a beginners knowledge that I will continue to use as I finish school and pursue my career. Before taking Intro to Archives, I would have never thought about being a corporate archivist but it sound interested. I believe I will end up going to the museum route but never say never.
And as for you dear readers, if you have any questions, ask them. Has my blog gotten you interested in the Public History program? If so, do you know where to look? I am more than willing to give information if anybody would like to know more. Until next time.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Work
I work at a surgeons office and can't help but notice how working in the file room is a lot like working in an archives. While I have not worked in an archives, from what I've learned, we do many of the same things as archivists. For instance, a records manager has to keep track of all the laws for records. We have to follow laws about charts. We know that we are allowed to shred charts after ten years. Like archives, we have to go through documents and put them in an order. As I've been taking my archives class, I can't help but think of things we do and can do for our records. Public History is around everyone every day. You just have to know where to look.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Election Day
This is going to be a quick one. I've been very busy with school projects but I hope to post a little later in the week. I just want to reminded those of you out there that tomorrow is election day so you should get out and vote. For people who say it doesn't matter, it does matter. It is especially important when you are voting at the local level. Make sure you plan enough to get out and vote!
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