Since I wrote my post about which historical figures I'd like to meet, I've been thinking a lot about Catherine of Aragon. Like I said before, I want to know if she did consummate her marriage with Arthur and if so, did she feel she did right by lying to everybody all those years. Or if she did tell the truth, does she think it was worth it in the end?
Because of my never ending quest for knowledge, I decided to read about her. Most of the reading I have done has been on some website and some historical fiction. The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory is probably my favorite historical book I've read about the time period but again, it's fiction. Naturally, I started out my research by googling Catherine of Aragon and started with the wikipedia page. While wikipedia is not the most reliable source, it is a good place to start research because it can send you to other links. Because they are trying to make wikipedia more scholarly, it is better than when it initially started. That being said, I would never recommend it being used as a source in a paper. Again, it is a good place to start. After looking over the wiki site, I went to some other websites where I was able to read some of her actual words. I cannot imagine what it would have been like to be there in the 1500s when this was all taking place. To be a fly on that wall... The website I found to to be most interesting was PBS' website called "The Six Wives of Henry VIII." This website give information about each of his six wives. While I primarily focused my reading on Catherine of Aragon, I took a quiz to see what kind of Queen material I would make. The website works in conjunction with a mini-series of four episodes that aired on PBS. According to IMDb, the miniseries is from 2001 but from PBS' website it appear that it may have not aired in America until 2003. The website is extremely detailed and gave me more information than I had previously known.
Although I found PBS' website to be fascinating, I wanted to learn more. Naturally I logged on to my local library website to look for some books. Many of the books I encountered were about all Henry VIII's six wives. I found it to be a bit disheartening since she was the first wife but I had only just begun my investigation. One of my friend's had read my blog about meeting historical figures and recommend I read the book Catherine of Aragon: The Spanish Queen of Henry VIII by Giles Tremlett. This book is written from a Spaniard's perspective. I was excited about that because most history books I read are from American or British perspective's. I'm not very far by I'm really enjoying what I've read so far.
Are there any books about this time period that you feel is important to read? Have you ever become so enthralled in a subject or person that you decided to research them on your own? If so, what made you interested in the subject or person and how did you go about your research? And again, if you could meet any historical figure(s), who would it be and why? I love hearing other people's opinions because then it can lead me to other books or people to research.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
Pawn Stars
Within the past few months, I have become obsessed with the television show Pawn Stars. For those of you who haven't seen it, Pawn Stars is a show about a pawn story in Las Vegas. People will bring in items to pawn them or to sell them. To pawn an item, the person puts their item as collateral to get a certain amount of money. They have 90 days to pay back the balance and the interest. If the balance is not played, the pawn shop is allowed to sell the item.
The main reason I love the show is the stories. People bring in these items and tell what each item means. Depending on the item, they may have to get an expert to come look over the items. That's when it gets really interesting. If there is a historical object, they have a museum expert come and determine if it is legitimate. If the object is real, one of the workers will negotiate a price with the person.
On the episode I watched recently, someone brought in a Civil War diary to sell. A Civil War diary! As a public historian I was enraged. First by the fact that they were handling the diaries with their bare hands. That is a bad thing to do because it will deteriorate. If I knew they had washed their hands before handling the diaries, I would have been less upset. The other thing is that the person wanted to sell a family heirloom. I do understand that times are tough but I am an advocate of donating that kind of stuff to museums or archives. For instant, Wright State University's Special Collection and Archives is a place that takes those kinds of donations. This is my own personal opinion when it comes to artifacts. However I feel about what people do with their artifacts, I love watching Pawn Stars. It is a good way to see how people can make a living in history outside of the academic field.
The main reason I love the show is the stories. People bring in these items and tell what each item means. Depending on the item, they may have to get an expert to come look over the items. That's when it gets really interesting. If there is a historical object, they have a museum expert come and determine if it is legitimate. If the object is real, one of the workers will negotiate a price with the person.
On the episode I watched recently, someone brought in a Civil War diary to sell. A Civil War diary! As a public historian I was enraged. First by the fact that they were handling the diaries with their bare hands. That is a bad thing to do because it will deteriorate. If I knew they had washed their hands before handling the diaries, I would have been less upset. The other thing is that the person wanted to sell a family heirloom. I do understand that times are tough but I am an advocate of donating that kind of stuff to museums or archives. For instant, Wright State University's Special Collection and Archives is a place that takes those kinds of donations. This is my own personal opinion when it comes to artifacts. However I feel about what people do with their artifacts, I love watching Pawn Stars. It is a good way to see how people can make a living in history outside of the academic field.
Monday, November 28, 2011
If You Could Meet Any Historical Figure(s)...
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)