Sarah - Your Favorite Museum Intern

Ansel Adams comes to Wikimedia

2011-05-28T10:10:00.004-04:00

May noted the start of Wikimedian Dominic's Wikipedian-in-Residence at the National Archives and Records Administration. Within days of starting his internship, Dominic had declared to the GLAMWIKI community that NARA had agreed to donate a collection of Ansel Adams photographs; photographs taken by Adams on behalf of the National Park Service in the mid-20th century.

Adams work is known for being one of the most accessible to the public eye - pleasant and monumental images of the parks of the West, often making their ways into calendars and posters in gift shops, allowing purchasers to admire the majestic nature of America at home. This accessibility and availability allows for cultural organizations to milk what they can out of licensing; fearing to release their images into the public domain due, claiming they'll lose major income. Many of us within the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives and museums) world know that this is rarely a truth; it's like saying you make money off charging admission. Regardless, there are some institutions that can rake in the dough at licensing off images of the Mona Lisa and Van Gogh, despite being out of copyright - just like the Ansel Adams images created for the feds - these are public domain. We own them, the public, so let us have them, right?

Right! So NARA decided to release hi-res versions of a series taken between 1941-1942 featuring major National Parks and images of Indigenous peoples living in the Southwest. Aside from having great images of what he's known best for - nature - Adams also photographed peoples of the Southwest: Navajo and San Ildefonso Pueblo. Just a few images are in the collection, but, they are a refreshing and natural series of examples compared to the stiff pre-planned images of Edward Curtis which litter the cultural world due to their lack of copyright.

I'd love to see a content donation from an Indigenous community - specifically images of people today. While these images are historically beautiful and the people in them as well, the importance of contemporary image donations to free culture will allow for educators to inform the world that people in these communities are flourishing today - and are not stuck in the past of black and white images taken by a government employee. I hope my research and work will allow this to eventually happen, as trust is built and neither side (community and Wikimedia) comprise their belief systems.

View and use the newly donated images here.

Thanks NARA for the donation and Dominic for being the "fastest working Wikipedian-in-Residence" this far!

Wikimedia + Archives of American Art = #wikilove

2011-04-27T11:57:00.005-04:00

This summer I have the pleasure and honor of being the first Wikipedian-in-Residence at the Smithsonian! More specifically, I'll be spending the next few months working at and with the Archives of American Art. The Archives of American Art holdings consist of the world's largest collection of primary resources related to American art - from letters to photos, sketches to oral histories - if you are an art historian, there will most likely be a time when you will seek to utilize the archives of AAA.

(To the right is Greek-American artist Jean Xceron from AAA's collection. This photo is in the public domain, as it was taken by the Works Progress Administration! And yes, it's in Commons already ;)

I will be working closely with Sara Snyder, webmaster, Karen Weiss, the Archives Information Systems Manager, and curatorial, collections and archival staff. Their passion for sharing and digitizing their collections are inspiring, and I can only hope that my own passion for sharing, educating and "freeing information" can be equally as inspiring - encouraging to other Smithsonian related organizations too.

One question I get frequently is "What the heck is a Wikipedian-in-Residence?" You can learn a bit more about the concept & origin from the first Wikipedian-in-Residence Liam Wyatt's blog.

There are a few things I hope to achieve there this summer, some of these plans include:

Expand coverage on Wikipedia about topics relevant to the Archives of American Art's collection. This includes providing sources for existing pages and writing non-existent pages about notable topics.
A content donation to Wikimedia Commons.
Work on an e-volunteer program, inspired by the Indianapolis Museum of Art's program.
Collaborate with art history related educational programs outside of the museum (university level) to work with students for article contributions.
Brown bags and workshops with Smithsonian employee & volunteers.
Examine statistical data related to traffic from Wikimedia websites to the AAA's website.
A backstage pass tour for GLAMWIKI.
Case study
.....and so much more!

I've also been speaking with other GLAMs about their involvement with Wikimedia, including the National Building Museum and the Special Collections Resource Center at George Washington University. The National Archives will also have a Wikipedian-in-Residence this summer! This is already turning out to be a great year to be a Wikipedian, riding the wave of the free encyclopedia's 10th birthday and the search for affordable and unique ways for GLAMs to expand awareness about their collections.

A quick side note - if you haven't had a chance to read Lori Phillips's guest blog "Museums & Wikipedia: The Future of Collaboration and Accessibility" on the Center for the Future of Museum's website, then get on top of it, darnit. It really speaks for what we're hoping to achieve in GLAMWIKI, and as a fellow masters student (at different schools) and colleague of Lori's (the Wikipedian-in-Residence at The Children's Museum), I'm proud to be associated with her and her work, which has served as a cornerstone for GLAMWIKI work.

Thanks to all who have support my scholarly labors, and I can't wait to see what happens this summer!

#IGNITESmithsonian

2011-04-12T16:45:00.006-04:00

Yesterday I co-presented with Katie Filbert at Ignite Smithsonian, which was held at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

A group of 20 speakers came together to share Ignite talks - a fast paced, fun five minute presentation about something great - all from the cultural/tech sectors. A lot of fascinating, informative and well thought-out concepts and ideas being executed around the world about technology within museums - from augmented reality to concepts of a non-museum.

Katie and I talked about GLAM/SI and how people and museums can contribute to our goals related to Wikimedia and GLAM.

You can watch our presentation, which will soon be edited down by speaker. But, check it out for now, we start at 10:15.

You can also download and view the PowerPoint:

Be GLAMorous

Thank you Michael Edson, the Director of Web and New Media strategy at the Smithsonian for putting this all together and allowing us to co-present. He's working hard at the creation of Smithsonian Commons, which intends to change how we see institutions on the web and accessibility to information.

At lunch I was able to join great folks at the John Hopkins Museum Studies program; Director Phyllis Hect and Assistant Director Deborah Seid Howes. The program at John Hopkins revolves strongly around museums and technology. I'm hoping to possibly work with them on a GLAM related project in the future, or even doing some work with students about the wonders of Wiki.

I also spent my evening getting to know Cory Bernat, a food historian at the National Museum of American History's Food and Wine History Team. She created this super cool exhibition of war-era food posters from the National Agricultural Library, which was on site at the USDA and is now online. And wrapped up my evening with Erik van Tuijn, the Web & Media Coordinator at the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag at The Hague, and Jasper Visser, the Project Manager of New Technology & Media at the National Historical Museum. Jasper presented on vending machines being used as cheap and quirky ways for visitor interaction and shopping. Let's just say these two are my favorite Dutchmen next to the Flying Dutchman.

Time to get back to work..lots of exciting announcements coming soon. I will be in Boston this weekend, New York in May, and speaking at the Indigenous Peoples & Museums conference in June. See you soon...

Top 10 Reasons to Encourage More Women Participation in Wikipedia

2011-02-08T09:50:00.004-05:00

As an active female Wikipedian I'm quite aware of the gender differences in editors and contributors - as many Wikipedians are and this was before the studies and the front page of the New York Times. However, it took the study and the NYT to make the rest of the world aware and for Wikipedians to finally decide to take action. A Gendergap mailing list was started for Wikipedians to discuss these issues, led by Sue Gardner, the Executive Director of the Wikimedia Foundation.

Conversations on the list vary from the gender bias via Wikipedia that take place outside of the US to sexuality articles that are chock full of "pictures of hot chicks" but no men. It's been fascinating, and I'm waiting for the revolution to really heat up - the task forces, the next steps, the outreach. This morning I woke up to a Top 10 list about why more women should participate in Wikipedia by Sandra Ordonez.

Perhaps it will motivate you or someone you know..

1) Improve the quality of information. Information is shaped by perspective, regardless of how NPOV you aim to be, and perspective is shaped by experience. When you experience the world in a certain perspective, you see things that others don't see. A Chinese immigrant in the United States may notice things that a American born may not see, just like it is very likely that a female may notice things their male counterparts don't see.

2) Open doors to more groups. The inclusion of women might have a domino affect, and open doors for other groups, particularly those that are traditionally dis-empowered, such as people of color in the United States. (You can include whatever other group you want here..I can only speak to the US).

3) Improved processes and systems. Collaboration is improved by diversity - everyone in this group (sic: mailing list) knows this. More female participation may result in better collaborative brainstorming and problem solving.

4) Better organization. Studies reveal that women tend to be great multitaskers. IMHO, women are great multitaskers because they also plan their world to be more "efficient" for multitasking. I can totally see a group of women helping improve the organization of Wikipedia's rules, background knowledge, presentation, etc.

5) Stronger community. Reports are also showing that more women than men are on social media. This is because women tend to focus on creating community. A larger, more sophisticated Wikipedian community is so powerful, I'm not even sure how to describe its potential in words. However, it would have the ability to help the projects but bring change worldwide.

6) Better image. Organizations that are ethical are usually favored and respected by society, which increase's an org's success. I am not talking "left vs right," and this is not a philosophical question, it is a public relations one. Talk to any PR practitioner and they can share why this works, and examples of organizations taking this PR strategy. And, at a minimum, I can guarantee it will increase how many women worldwide see the project, which btw are 50% of the world's population.

7) Better parties and possibly more Wikilove! As corny as it sounds, I am quite positive that more women will improve the festivities in any wiki get together, and possibly result in more wikilove :) lolol Why not!! What a perfect place to meet someone that shares your interest, and better parties are usually always welcomed.

8) A better world society. Wikipedia has this ability to affect the world and start revolutions in what seems to be very silent but effective ways. I really believe that the inclusion of women will have amazing revolutionary affects on the world, and make it better. Channeling Jeff Bridges, "information is really power, man." And maybe we have come to take for granted that the world is informed/educated through Wikipedia on a daily basis. This has an effect.

9) It's the right thing to do. Wikipedia has always gone against the grain, even though at times it ruffled society's feathers b/c transparency in knowledge sharing is more important than the agenda of any group. Its part of the free culture movement, dedicated to empowering people worldwide, and has done much in that area. Why wouldn't it come together now to improve on this systematic problem that affects not only the project, but humans at large.

10) Who else is going to do it? No one has the ability to look and tackle this complex issue like Wikipedian community. No other community has the strength in numbers, intellect, and structure to address an issue like this. I guarantee that other groups will embrace any solutions the community finds, b/c its not Wikipedia is not only a pioneer, but its a "best-in-breed" virtual project that comes up with "best-in-breed" solutions.

---

So there you go! I think it's simply put and rather empowering. But, I've been contributing for years - if I can get a few more women to contribute, I'd be happy.

What are your interests? What do you want to edit in Wikipedia? Have you edited? Do you still?

I look forward to hearing from you.

How to anger a Wikipedian

2011-02-06T17:21:00.007-05:00

As many of you know, I'm an avid Wikipedian. I've been editing since 2006 and contributing well researched and educated articles for quite sometime. I'm almost about to hit my 100th article, and the majority of those have involved the Wikiproject: Public Art.

While watching Super Bowl pre-game and editing an article about a winery in Sonoma (taking a break from public art!) a colleague of mine shared this article with me:

The Top 10 Reasons Students Cannot Cite or Rely on Wikipedia by Mark E. Moran

She found this article via the professional organization the American Association for State and Local History, who posted it on their Twitter account.

Alright, maybe five or ten years ago this had some validity. Educators historically freaked out when Wikipedia came to light, claiming it was a poor source to cite. But, as many people know, that's not the point of Wikipedia. NO student should "CITE" Wikipedia in any project - Wikipedia is a starting point.

I tried to post to the articles comment section multiple times and kept getting pop up windows to share the article on Facebook every time I hit the submit button. So here is my brief and opinionated idea behind this poorly thought out article:

This article is hilarious. As an active female Wikipedian who is also a student obtaining my Masters in Museum Studies, I'm insulted by this.

Yes, there are jerks who abuse the power that Wikipedia has allowed them, but a large amount of articles are well sourced and are well maintained by good passionate well-educated people.

In my research I often use Wikipedia as a starting place. It is a requirement for articles (if they wish to not be deleted) to have well cited sources in the article page, which provides a great resource for researchers of all backgrounds and levels. The goal is to provide verified information. Wikipedia was never meant to be the number one cited source for anything, it's just a starting place, a place for you to be inspired, to explore more, and to share with the world what you've learned.

I'm also active in task forces that are seeking to expand women's contributions and studies on Wikipedia. Perhaps if you "researched" more on what Wikimedia Foundation is doing to better Wikipedia and the mission you'd think differently. There are also groups dedicated to museum coverage - why would the British Museum or the Children's Museum of Indianapolis entrust a Wikipedian-In-Residence to train their staff about how to use the website, and allow that Wikipedian to share information on selected objects with the world via the website? Obviously these well respected institutions must find something valid about what Wikipedia's doing.

Then there is the Campus Ambassadors program, which has Wikipedia working with universities such as Duke, Georgetown, George Washington University, Indiana University, and many others, to teach students and professors how to edit and utilize the website. I guess it's not trustworthy if GWU and IU are supporting it?

This way of thinking may have had some validity years ago when Wikipedia (now ten years!) first made it's appearance, but, I believe you'll be eating your words, if you aren't already.

It's equally insulting that AASLH would share this with the public. In a time when Wikipedia is celebrating it's 10th anniversary and celebrating its efforts and challenges, people still insult us with outdated articles like this.

I'm really loving the tweets from educators stating that they dock students 10% if they "cite" Wikipedia. I would too! It's like using the Encyclopedia Britannica as your source, you just don't do that. Perhaps you can educate your students on how to utilize the internet better for research, and you wouldn't be having to dock students for their research attempts.

Another colleague just stated that perhaps a clever soul should write a Top 10 on why AASLH folks should contribute to Wikipeida. In a female dominated industry you'd figure it'd be of interest - all that research, why not share it with the world?

What are your thoughts?

I owe you an update

2010-10-31T17:02:00.004-04:00

HI! Wow, I owe you an update Internets, I apologize for letting you go for so long.

So yes, if you didn't know by now, I live in Washington, DC. My neighborhood is the historic Logan Circle, full of history, gentrification and lots of cute dogs. I live an insanely busy life, little time for social outings, a lot of time and work put into school, and my three jobs.

I am still working on Wikipedia Saves Public Art, devoting more of my time to working on Wiki stubs and the Flickr images, and not so much on photographing DC. I've been very busy, so devoting the time I did in Indy to travel around is tough, and many of the areas I need to get too are hard without a car. A lot has been going on with WSPA - including a new project in Milwaukee which has brought a lot of awareness to the project. I've been a bit overwhelmed by all they have been doing, but also feeling like I'm not doing enough.

I am still working on expanding the Washington DC public art on Wikipedia, you can take a look here, and get involved if you'd like. The image above is one of my favorites in DC, "Gwenfritz" by Alexander Calder, at the National Museum of American History.

Speaking of the Smithsonian, I got a gig with the National Museum of African American History & Culture. I'm the research assistant to the head curator, Jacquelyn Serwer. A true honor, especially with her esteemed career at the Corcoran! I'll be doing research for their fine arts collection.

I'm also the Studio Director of a commercial/fashion photography studio in Old Town called Union 206. I assist the studio owner, Charles, and I handle all member needs, event planning, and the like. It's a great experience, and is my home away from home.

On Fridays, I lend a hand at a local vintage store in the heart of the U-Street district, peddling fine vintage wears to the cool folks of the District. It's quite fun.

And of course there is school! Three masters classes and my butt is getting kicked. Museum Administration, Non-Profit Admin and Green Museums - all dramatically different. Lots of projects in the works and lots of team work (something I do struggle with) to be had. My main goal - work hard and meet the right people.

Ok, so, there is your short update. DC has been pretty great so far. I'm car-less, which has been surprisingly tough to deal with, and I don't go out much - it's too expensive, and well, I have more important things to do.

More soon....PROMISE!

Welcome to the world of Copyright Chaos

2010-06-09T22:20:00.016-04:00

So after some epic speedbumps and a two day banning, I've started uploading select photographs from my collection onto Wikimedia Commons. Commons features millions of bits of media - photos, film, music - all available for public use for free. It's like the ultimate Creative Commons repository. What has led to this minor obsession?

Over the past 48 hours I have learned a ton about copyright - what to do and what not to do in regards to free media and what can be shared and what can't. Just when you think you know...you don't. (It's taking me a bit of time to post this, I chose to do it while watching the Stanley Cup finals...)

I don't want to get into the gory details about my copyright chaos. Let's just say it's added a bit of unneeded stress into my Wiki world, but I have learned from my mistakes. I also realized that our project, Wikipedia Saves Public Art, has a lot of friends in the Wiki world that support us. If you have visited our page in the past 24 hours (oh and I know you have!!) you will see that our project has been nominated for deletion by a very bored/irritable Wikipedian. I encourage you to check out the discussion taking place, and if you're a Wikipedian, please take part. It's rather entertaining, and this isn't the first time I've stirred the pot with my innocent mistakes.

Here is a picture of me giving thumbs down to copyright fails with a Panda in Woodley Park that I am not allowed to upload to Commons. However, if I chose to write an article about these pandas, I can upload it to Wikipedia. I do not think Wikipedians will appreciate me in the photo though.

There's a lot to the story, but, you can follow the Wikipedia page for WSPA if you really want in on the drama known as Copyright Chaos.

So, to help with the "epic project" known as Commons, I've start

ed uploading photos. No, not the panda photo. But, images from my trips and travels that fall within the scope (my favorite word right now) of Commons. Want to use some of my photos? Give me credit. You can even manipulate them all you want, just let me know. Here is your chance to pillage my photos, enjoy!

In other news, I have completed the most epic of all Wikipedia public art projects. It's not even complete, and of course you can help me complete it, if you want. I still need to write a nice blurb for the opening page, but, I think you'll be impressed. Or you'll be ashamed if you know me, thinking I have no life.

List of public art in Washington, D.C.

Read it and weep. Prepare to have your mind blown with art work you probably did not even know existed. Prepare to go "Hmm, I think I drive by that statue, every single day."

It's been my main project since getting my undergrad and waiting to move to DC. I can't wait to leave Indianapolis, and I've completely immersed myself in Wikipedia and educating myself about public art and re-educating myself about old D.C. punk rock. My heart, mind and soul are in the District already, it's just my body, my belongings and my cat that are still here. Oh, and some of my friends and family of course.

But, this isn't for all that personal mumbo jumbo. In one month I'll be posting about my new life in D.C., from my studio in Logan Circle, overlooking the city. Breathing in the heat of summer and enjoying what life has in store for me.

The new collection management system?

2010-04-27T11:05:00.003-04:00

Center for the Future of Museums twittered this today: Barcodes help objects tell their stories.

Here is the direct website for Tales of Things.

I got a bit excited. Is this the step that the internet needs to form into a collection management system? Is there a way that small museums can incorporate this into their systems, as a way to share objects with larger audiences? Can this be used in our project Wikipedia Saves Public Art?

So many questions. I'm looking forward to trying out my first barcode!

A photo of the Ten O'Clock Line Sculpture taken in Gosport, Indiana this past week:

Next phases..

2010-04-09T11:57:00.005-04:00

Our beloved Wikipedia Saves Public Art is growing in notability (how Wiki!)! It's delightful to meet people in the museum world who know about the project - I'm so proud to be involved! Soon Richard and Jennifer will fly off (no bird pun intended) to Denver for Wikimedia@MW2010 to share our hard work with fellow professionals, public art and birds throughout the region. We've still got some work to do - I'm working on D.C. and we're trying to wrap up the final aspects of SOS! in Indianapolis. It's going well though, and once others jump on board it can only get better. Read the blog entry written by Richard McCoy at the Indianapolis Museum of Arts blog: "The Bird Flies in Denver."

I've had a lot going through my head after a lecture last night about how Wikipedia can help document performance art that isn't "allowed" to be documented by museums and institutions that purchase concepts/performances. Who says I cannot document a concept as a non-institutional person on Wiki? Perhaps there is something or someone, if so, please let me know. I'll get my thoughts together more on this and hopefully write more shortly. (And this also brings up ethics questions?)

I've made the decision to head off to The George Washington University to get my masters in Museum Studies. Should be a great experience. I love DC, and it will be a great place to show off my WSPA skills, continue to meet others who are passionate about museums and culture, and to finally settle into a new place (at least for two years). Heading out for a short trip and looking forward to a symposium featuring keynote speaker Richard Kurin...very cool - only in D.C.!

Ok, gotta fill out exciting financial aid paperwork. On that note, I'll leave you with an image of Frances Slocum's memorial marker in northern Indiana. More details on the road trip I took seeking out Native heritage in the region soon!

The future is calling + WSPA

2010-03-16T12:56:00.004-04:00

Right now I am in the process of deciding where I am going to go to grad school. I'm close to making my decision, and I'll post as soon as I do. I'll be getting my masters in Museum Studies, more info coming soon!

In other news, I'm actively involved in Wikipedia Saves Public Art. What is WSPA? Well, we aim to "encourage the creation of accurate, informative and up-to-date articles about public art." You can learn more about WSPA here. The project is spear-headed by Jennifer Geigel Mikulay, public scholar of visual culture and a professor at IUPUI, and Richard McCoy, conservator of objects at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. What started as a project involving bringing public art to Wikipedia via an IUPUI museums studies course (you can read more about that on the WSPA Wiki page) has blossomed into a passion and obsession involving Web 2.0 in many forms.

How did I get involved? Ever since I got an iPhone, I've been fanatical about it. I love it. While browsing applications, I found something called FourSquare, an application that allows you to politely stalk your friends - the program uses the phone's GPS capabilities to locate you and you "check in" at locations that are listed (and you can create). By exploring and going to various locations, you can unlock badges and become "mayors" of locations. I thought this was great, but, FourSquare still needed to be tweaked a bit. Regardless, the majority of locations on FourSquare consist of bars, restaurants, shops, etc.

Then, while using the Genius option on the iPhone application store, Genius recommended Gowalla. I loved the layout of the program - it was like FourSquare, but sexier. And instead of becoming the "mayor" of locations, you find virtual objects - everything from prairie dogs and pints of beer, to holiday objects like Mardi Gras beads and Olympic torches. I fell in love with Gowalla - the format, the look and the energy behind those who created the program. I had a few friends who used it, mainly fellow Twitter folks. One day, I got an email from Richard asking me to get involved with WSPA, explaining what the project was, and how he had interest in incorporating Gowalla into the project. How can we use geolocation programs to bring awareness to public art?

I became obsessed. Richard, myself, and friends of mine (who I forced onto the Gowalla bandwagon) started fanatically adding public art locations. See an example here. We hope that with Gowalla we are able to not only validate locations, but, bring awareness to public art in peoples environments. With the Gowalla interface we are able to describe the object or talk about the history of the location and take photographs and upload them for friends and users to see. Perhaps we are the only one's that care, but, we like to think otherwise.

We've also started creating Google maps documenting public sculpture in Indy. This features all of the original Save Outdoor Sculptures! entries from the 1993 survey. Eventually we'll have a map of SOS and non-SOS sculptures, but, our priority is to physically document (and use Gowalla!) and verify locations of the original SOS! sculptures. We're getting there, and it's great that Spring is here - makes stomping through graveyards more enjoyable (since the majority of the one's we need to document still are in graveyards).

Alright, I'm sick, so I'm going to zone out here on the couch to bad TV and Love & Hate in Jamestown by David Price.

Ok well..let's move along

2009-09-16T13:45:00.002-04:00

So I've been back for quite sometime. The summer was a learning experience, that's all I'll say for now :)

In other news, I've started a flickr group for the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art (where I am back interning full time) so please add any photos you might have lying around for all experiences at the museum (or related to the museum!):

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art.

I hope you'll submit images if you've got them!

I'll post more later about what I've been doing! Ok, back to work :)

Bacon's Castle and Smithfield, VA - Short and Sweet

2009-08-04T18:53:00.018-04:00

Back in May I visited Bacon's Castle and Smithfield, VA while I was working at Colonial Williamsburg. On an early Saturday I took the Jamestown-Scotland ferry over the James River to, well, Scotland, located in Surry County. Sadly, I rode on the Surry Ferry, not ferry named Pocahontas.

I followed Rolfe Highway (named after John Rolfe, of course) into Surry, then cut over on Highway 10 to Bacon's Castle (a town name and historic site). Surry is a classic small town - main street, a few shops, diner, etc. I stopped by the courthouse for a shot of this:

This figure is of a young Confederate soldier, a bronze statue dedicated by the county to the young soldiers of the South. Unveiled in 1910 the inscription on the side states "Our Heroes -1861-65" This is the south, after all. You can read a bit more here.

Alright, back on track. So, after a brief stop by to see our young Southern friend I headed about 15 minutes through beautiful lush green views of the James River and farmland to Bacon's Castle. The "Castle" was built in 1665 and is the country's oldest brick home. With a nice large plot of land surrounding it, gardens and some original buildings, the Castle certainly isn't a castle when you first arrive at it, but, it's history is that of the tales of the great mansions of Europe.

Owned by Preservation Virginia, an amazing non-profit that goes to great lengths to preserve, protect and celebrate Virginian properties and historic sites, it is well maintained and provided me with the best home tour I have ever been on. If you live in Virginia, APVA is well worth supporting, and affordable for many budgets!

Bacon's Castle is one of the few Jacobean architecture marvels in America. It's age is a marvel in itself, and the preservation work has been quite an achievement. The house was built in the 17th century by a planter named Arthur Allen, and despite being technically Allen's Castle the name Bacon's Castle stuck due to rebels from Bacon's Rebellion kicking him out and taking over the home for a time period in 1676. I was not allowed to take photographs inside the home so sadly it's hard to comprehend the home tour itself, but it is worth experiencing.

This is not your typical home tour - "Ooh, look at the beautiful paint job, furniture, novelty, fancyness," this is a history tour. Two rooms, the parlor and Allen's bedroom, do feature furniture, many beautiful period pieces and some original to the Allen family, but, the rest of the rooms of the house have no furniture or decorations aside from what are original to the house.

My favorite area was the basement which served as an extremely large kitchen and storehouse. The cellar was there too, where Mr. Allen kept his vast wine collection. It was noted in his diaries that when he returned to live back at his home, after Bacon's rebels took it over, the largest amount of damage was in the cellar and that no wine was left drinkable. Archeologists from AVPA have found wine bottles broken in fireplaces and areas around the backyard where bonfires took place. They have amazing examples of these bottles reconstructed that are made by the fine people at the Jamestown Glasshouse.

Our docent was a brilliant 17 year old homeschooler. He had a strong passion for history and showed it through his tour of the house. He was honest - he didn't shy away from any topics (including slavery/women's roles in the house) or questions and got everyone excited (I was the youngest person, everyone was 60+) about the history of the site.

Another fascinating aspect of the property featured the gardens, which were believed by oral history and light documentation to be at one place, but, after APVA had the grounds scanned from the sky with radar/satellite photography they came to find the remnants of a garden hundreds of yards from where they believed they were. The gardens flourish today raising crops and flowers similar to what Mr. Allen would have grown himself (he was quite the gardener).

I'm not giving Bacon's Castle the credit it deserves, but, it delivered an honest, passionate and strong history of an amazing home in early America and breaths fresh air into plantation tours and a region that relies on Colonial Williamsburg and historic Jamestown. Don't forget to check out the home's website too.

The smokehouse at Bacon's Castle is one of the original buildings on the property (it has been moved from its original spot and I believe it dates to the 18th century).

The smokehouse exterior.

Bacon's Castle Exterior

After the delight known as Bacon's Castle I headed to Smithfield, home of the famous Smithfield Ham. It's sort of like champagne - it's a law that no other place in the world can call its ham Smithfield Ham, it can only be made in one county, and that's Isle of Wight County. This wasn't my main agenda though, and sadly I didn't eat any ham while there. My main agenda, however, was to check out the town of Smithfield, a historic town surrounded by amazing waterways and then drive up through Norfolk, Hampton Roads, and back to Williamsburg. Well, I did just that. Sadly, I didn't document enough through photographs, but the trip was "okay," it wasn't as exciting as websites and travel documents made it out to seem, but perhaps I'm too demanding on small town attractions.

Heading to Smithfield proper, I passed by Poole's Funeral Home which, according to historic signage sponsored by the state, is the oldest black owned business in the county of Surry dating back to 1890.

Poole's Funeral Home

Lovely old home in Smithfield. (Not the funeral home)

I went to the Isle of Wight Historical Society which had a young woman who for sure had to be a museum studies major working there. (She was young, smart, friendly, and almost seemed hiply out of place for this small town....) It was in a historic building (a bank) in downtown Smithfield and featured exhibits on the oldest cured ham (Smithfield!), the oldest peanut (on display from the 1800s!), some archeological objects from Native people in the region, and an exhibit about the world's largest ham biscuit that was constructed in Smithfield a few years ago. They also have a collection of duck decoys. My attention span catered primarily to the Ripley's Believe it or Not style exhibits and this bizarre general store room featuring two creepy mannequins:

They had a great little gift shop that featured stuffed animal pigs made with Smithfield Ham cloth bags (I bought one for a gift) and awesome postcards, books and other crafts from the county. This historical society was one of the better county societies I had been in. Decent exhibits, hands on activities, and topics that can appeal to all types of people (from war to peanuts).

I walked a block down the street to the old courthouse which was built to reflect the courthouse at Colonial Williamsburg. A delightfully manicured main street featuring quaint shops, homes, restaurants and galleries. However, no time to spend money - I headed straight for the history. No 18th century courthouse is complete without these, of course:

Another APVA owned property they had an informative Elder docent who talked about the dramas that erupted, the final use of the courthouse and how the courthouse provided the soap opera for towns people when it was in session.

Isle of Wight historic courthouse

A really crappy photo of the interior, it looks 95% identical to CW's.

After that, I headed out of town and to the shore area to the military mania part of this daytrip, which will be covered in the next blog.

Bacon's Castle provided one of the best home tour's I've ever experienced. A passionate docent staff and a focus on history, not just interior design, is what made this stand out from the rest.
A unique history on beautiful grounds, Bacon's Castle is worth visiting for lovers of history, architecture, and gardens.
Smithfield and Isle of Wight County features a fascinating little Historical Society with strange facts that we hold dear in these small non-profits. A delightful visit, and free!
A nice little quick afternoon that could be topped off with some good southern cooking at one of the well reviewed restaurants in the area.

Awesome tree in Colonial Williamsburg:

Jamestown Settlement

2009-08-01T10:39:00.034-04:00

Alright, let's conclude this trip to Jamestown Settlement. I also had been to Yorktown Victory Center with my mother, which had a decent museum and a very disappointing (but others were impressed) living history area. So, my hopes were in the middle for Jamestown. With the anniversary of the 400th year since settling Jamestown, I knew they had upped the ante (the Queen visited after all...) in design and renovations...

As previously mentioned, I had made it as far as the Powhatan Village at the Settlement. After passing the totem circle and learning about Native interpreters at the site (or lack there of) I headed into the heart of the village, where their reed covered homes were dispersed in a similar style seen in White's drawings and in John Smith's journals.

"This watercolor by John White depicts the village of Pomeiooc in the North Carolina coastal plain. It was this image that was used to create the computer-rendered village. The structures in the village are also similar in design to those that are reconstructed at Jamestown as a Powhatan village. It is very likely that the Indians of eastern North Carolina had contact with the Powhatans." (From Disappearing Indians?)

The structures, as mentioned in the caption, were reconstructed at the Village at Jamestown Settlement, not necessarily in a circle. The were beautifully constructed and reflected a theory based on John Smith's writings, Powhatan oral history, and anthro/archeo work done on Southern Woodlands communities.

I was disappointed that grouse weren'tt represented and mainly Anglo style chickens seen on Old MacDonald's Farm were, I'm not sure about chicken ancestry in America though. (How nerdy is that?)

The homes were quite nice, and well put together - I was curious how frequently they replaced the materials, they were in great condition and seemed to lack any type of deterioration. The object to the right of the home in the chicken photo is an infamous corn pounder. It seems to be the children and birds favorite hang out - any chance to violently smash corn into bits appeals to the children and the treat it provides appealed to woodpeckers, blue jays and common little scavenger birds alike.

The interior of the homes featured plenty of birds and furs alike, as well as space for fires.

Sorry for the slightly blurry interior shots. I like the gull that's been pulled in two. The interior descriptions are primarily based on anthro/archeo research and Capt. John Smith's infamous journals about his experiences at Powhatan's village. There were no interpreters inside the buildings and there were more deerskin to choke a horse. The shots above are from the main meetinghouse.

Well, that was that. There was a small area, which featured a non-Native third person interpreter cooking fish and they had stations of tightened deerskin for children to try their hand at "skinning." I meandered through a beautiful wooded area towards where I could see the ship's masts - I'm sure that pirate films and the overall coolness of big glorious ships made this a hot spot, and it sure did (for young boys especially! Seems young girls liked the Indian village and young boys preferred the glamour of ships..)

I learned from some of the signage and from individuals at other museums that the ships were made in Maine and made the trip down the coast to the docks of the Settlement. These ships were also used in the film The New World. I even felt myself getting giddy as I headed towards the dock, the boats were beautiful.

The masts of the larger ship the Susan Constant.

Two were available to explore, Susan Constant and I believe Discovery. There was some nearby signage discussing the journey from England to Jamestown and a costumed interpreter did first person acting discussing his travels on the ships much to the enjoyment of adults while their children went wild on the ships.

Costumed interpreters were on both ships, three total, working in third person. One was from England, which provided "authenticity" to the experience of crawling around on a big meaty ship. I was able to take the ladder below (I don't know ship lingo...even with that trip to the Maritime Museum!) to see storage units, sleeping quarters, and the very fancy captain's quarters (the only private sleeping space on the ship it seemed!). Some areas were blocked off, which featured movable objects to add authenticity to the ship, bust most areas were open to the visitor, allowing one to stick your head out the windows, pose for photo ops, imagine what it'd be like to shoot a cannon and to pull that whole Leonardo DiCaprio stunt from Titanic.

The Discovery from the deck of the Susan Constant.

Giant wooden bust which sat on top of pulleys for the ropes.

Captains quarters.

The interpreters seemed impatient and anxious. It was lunch time in Jamestown Settlement, so staff members were coming and going, relieving one another of his ship duty to go eat. They'd stop working with visitors to declare lunch time and ignore any questions as they scurried off the ship. I wasn't impressed with the information provided and was left rather clueless on how some of the ship's tools and tracking devices worked, the men seemed more interested in the specials in the dining hall. But, the ships were beautiful objects, well put together and well curated. It is quite a lovely experience to overlook the James River from these boats on a beautiful sunny day. I could only imagine the first site of the land when the original settlers arrived..

Conservation work was being done on the boats - lacquering, paint detailing and general duties to help maintain the quality appearance of the ships. The nicest staff members I encountered were the ship conservators (they travel all over the coast).

After exploring the dock, I headed to the fort of Jamestown on the property. This was a space I remembered as a child, where my mother took a photo of me wearing giant pieces of period armor (And I saw other parents doing the same to their children). Interpreters were more active here, discussing in third person the experiences and hardships of the settlers. The buildings were beautifully put together, and despite being in such a small area it was easy to explore and not feel to confined, it was quite crowded though. I visited a storehouse, a kitchen, the guard house, school house/church and some other random generic buildings. There was one female interpreter, cooking, and the rest (two-three) were men discussing the art of warfare. The blacksmith was no where to be found much to the disappointment of the youngins.

As you can see, the buildings were great. The colors, the techniques used to get the textures and the craftsmanship was wonderful. This was the busiest area on the grounds, which did cause problems due to the space constraints and the layout. But, it was well maintained - gritty and worn, and beautiful at the same time.

Costumed interpreter (3rd person) discusses the art of warfare in 17th century Virginia. He had the most impress costuming out of any interpreter on the grounds.

Lunchtime at the Blacksmith shop. It's not a living history museum without a blacksmith.

After spending about 20 minutes in this area I had to start heading back to Colonial Williamsburg to finish my day doing some research on treaties. I decided to head back to the visitor center/museum and check out the gift shop on my way out. It was appalling.

The majority of the objects for sale were cheap, made in China toys of "Indian princesses" and "little braves." You could buy costumes to dress your daughter up like a princess, bows, arrows, cheaply made dream catchers and more t-shirts then you can shake a stick at with tacky one-liners like "The original - Jamestown." I bought a few postcards and watched the children rampage the cheap toy section. Oh, I also scored a sweet Pocahontas crossstitching design which I'm making my stepmother stitch for me.

They had two gift shops, both were filled with crap made of stereotypical truck stop Indian wetdreams.

Smaller gift shop, I've seen my fair share of "Indian" themed dream catcher's at truck stops across the US, as seen here.

The main gift shops plethora of cheap "Indian" dolls and toys.

After that whirlwind, I headed back to work. Another fascinating museum experience in Virginia. A few things to summarize my experience...

Visitors were more interested in the living history aspects of the museum.
The African experience area of the museum was impressive and offensive at the same time and was largely ignored by non-black visitors. There were no African American intepreters on the grounds.
The Native exhibit was also impressive yet offensive. I really wish we could move beyond tacky mannequins.
A really impressive building and center with more information than an average museum goer can handle.
The cafe wasn't bad and the prices and taste wasn't too shabby.
Beautiful surroundings.
Fun experience for kids, as long as parental units are willing to educate their children about the difference between a white person dressed up like an Indian and a real Native person and how life wasn't all ships and blacksmiths.
Worth visiting the National Park site about a mile away especially if you're in a party of only adults.

Alright, time to go enjoy the last Saturday I have in DC, and perhaps another entry tonight!

Yes, I am alive + Jamestown Settlement

2009-07-31T23:45:00.014-04:00

Yes, I am, I promise. Quite strange how I went from having minimal internet access in Williamsburg, to total full out hardcore internet access in D.C. and I stopped updating my blog. Ok, I have been busy, and staring at a computer for 8 hours a day doing research (and other such things) can make me want to avoid doing much writing or productive things aside from aimless "surfing the web" type activities when I get home..

...so yes, I am in Washington, D.C. Next Friday I pack up and ship out back to the Midwest, to enjoy the last few weeks of summer, then finish my final semester of my undergrad at IUPUI.

I have been working in the curatorial department of the National Museum of the American Indian for two months. I'm working under Maria Galban, who is the research assistant for the Infinity of Nations show. IoN (hip inter-museum shorthand) features over 500 objects that explore cultures ranging from Tierra Del Fuego (Patagonia) to Greenland. The show launches at the New York City museum in 2010, and there is still a lot to do.

My main projects involve breaking down consultations with anthros, historians, and community members and taking the information from these meetings and citing specific information pertaining to objects chosen for the show. This information will be verified and then eventually placed in the museum database (eMU) for future use, and will be used for label information as well. I've been reading fascinating interviews with remarkable people, and learning a lot about cultures I have not been as familiar with (specifically South America/Latin America). I also am assisting in culture verification - researching specific objects and providing a culture based on their provenance (i.e. it's not Eskimo, it's actually Inupaiq). I've learned a lot about the collectors themselves, good and bad things.

Today I spent the majority of my day in the photography archives, researching photographs to show people using/wearing objects that will be on display, which will be apart of a computerized photo book allowing visitors to put "two and two together" so to say - how the object is used or worn.

It's been an up and down experience. Lately I've been doing more research work, which is what I came here to do, and that's great. I've met some great people, some not so great people, and learned a lot about where I see myself fitting into the museum world.

I also have had a chance to live in the Nation's Capital during an exciting time - Obama is in office, and the hype and energy is powerful. Summer here is hot, but events like Smithsonian's Folklife festival took place and I've had a chance to travel to New York City and Philadelphia, and had amazing weekends in both places. I've also gained a couple of lasting friendships with some people in the program here.

So perhaps I can start at the beginning. I figure since I've slacked so bad on my blogging, I can share some things with you that I've been experiencing as I have been.

Oh, an my internship in CW? It was great. A little slow in the end, due to business and schedules, but, it was a remarkably fulfilling and education experience. I still have to send out my thank you gifts to Buck and Willie down there. If you're an intern - get an internship at CW, even if you have to write for grant money to do it. Their programming is amazing, the people are so nice, and even though it's a sleepy town, you'll have a fulfilling and educational experience.

So let's go back a few months...

Back in May I was living in Williamsburg, Virginia (if you haven't read back blogs) and I took an afternoon to go to Jamestown Settlement. The "Settlement" is actually a purchased plot of land right next to the original Jamestowne fort (National Park Service as seen in previous blogs) and features a gigantic museum and living history museum devoted to the early Euro, African and Native experience North America.

I remember as a teenager visiting here with my mother, there was a small museum, interpreters dressed up in period costume (I remember the soldiers...), and some huts based on the Jamestown archeology/drawings and some "longhouses" representing the Powhatan village. Well, my my my, how it has changed. Ever since the big 400th Anniversary of Jamestown rolled around, Jamestown Settlement had quite a face lift.

I started out in the museum, which is housed in a stunning building. No photographs were allowed, not even without flash, and the guards on duty did a *very* good job at alerting any visitor to put their camera away. The museum was quite amazing in size, design and craft. I did have some issues with representation there, as I will discuss...like...they had tacky mannequins of "early Native Peoples" and the docents liked to quiz the children about gender roles in Eastern Woodland society ("see, the women tend to the garden, the men hunt," overheard by a docent).

They discussed pre-history Native cultures in the area, Powhatan life just before contact, the "truth behind the term Indian Summer," and the break down of political and social life in the Virginia Indian world. Next, they discussed Anglo-European life - what it was like to live in London during the 16th and 17th centuries, featuring a cobble stone mock up (but no mannequins!) of olde London towne.

After experiencing the class system of old London there were detailed exhibits discussing the formation of the Virginia Company and failures at Roanoke. This is where my mind started to fade, there was so much, and my "hardcore museum nerd gotta read everything" mindset was starting to fall apart. I started becoming more of a typical museum goer (look, glance at label, look, walk) due to time constraints (I was heading to CW that day for work), but, if I had all day, I could have spent all day (probably 6-8 hours) there.

Anyway, after the story of England, the contact period between Native and English people, a big statue featuring Powhatan, and of course a display and "life size" statue of Pocahontas and John Rolfe, they then discussed the African experience. Gigantic dioramas devoted to African life - just like they treated the Native American dioramas with mannquins. It was bizarre, strange, and even with quality attempts to be "Realistic" and "authentic" I felt like I was back in a Natural History Museum from the 1950s. Art and culture of Africa was discussed in a beautiful multimedia show, however, the majority of the large exhibit was given little attention by non-black visitors, based on my observations for the 10-20 minutes I spent in the area. (And I was spending a long time there compared to 95% of the museum goers.)

After a discussion about slavery in Africa, contact with Europeans, and the transportation of slaves to the Americas, we are shown how contact with all three cultures collides, and then they feature an exhibit showing how European living influenced Native living (Anglo housing, etc) and what the "typical" home for English-folk was like in Jamestown.

I was overwhelmed, and was, I admit, glad to get out of the exhibits and grab a bite at the very nice cafe they had (okay food, nice staff, decent price, good options). After that, I was heading outside to the interpretation grounds!

There, I was allowed to take pictures, if I could have taken them in the museum - you would really get the jist of what I am talking about in regards to representation of cultures, communities, and "races" (note the quotations).

(Oh, and they also had a really fascinating exhibit about Jamestown and Bermuda - I bet if I would have not went to that before the main exhibit I would have given the main exhibit more attention, but the special exhibit was fascinating..)

Powhatan " ceremonial circle of carved wooden posts."

Detail of totem.

The first thing you experience when you walk out into the living history area is a circle of posts based on John White's drawing of the Powhatan dancing. While googling an image to reference I learned that the posts at the Village were created by Rose Powhatan (Pamunkey/Tauxenent) and Michael Auld (Taino). This was not mentioned at the posts, or not in an obviously place (and I consider myself rather observant). (Powhatan and Auld are amazing artists, check out Rose's posters!)

Now, these posts were really great - beautiful at that - but I can barely remember any signage, and it seems they weren't used for much discussion aside from a quick stop by a docent tour.

John White's drawing - visit Powhatan Museum to learn more (scroll down).

While checking out the posts, I spotted my first interpreter. A middle-aged woman dressed in a buckskin fringe outfit. She was working on basketry of some type. I wandered over to her, and that faithful question popped in my head (thanks to Playing Ourselves) - are Native peoples actually doing the "Indian" interpretation? I scooted over to her, told her I was a student (less threatening) and asked her politely if any Native people are involved with interpretation, she shook her head and said no but "sometimes people from around here come by and do things." I smiled, nodded, and stepped away not surprised by her answer.

I was curious as to why Virginia communities weren't currently active in the museum....perhaps sometime I'll find out.

The lady who answered my question.

Non-Native interpreter smoking fish. The family in the shot were overheard with the father asking his daughter if he saw what type of shoes the "Indian" was wearing and the girl howled "moccasins!!" and the interpreter said "yes, so I don't burn my feet when I cook."

So, we had another case of non-Native people playing Indian - I even saw a hippie chick with dreadlocks in her buckskin "maiden" dress walking barefoot with other costumed staff. Quite fascinating for a museum attempting "authenticity." I wasn't really surprised - I wonder what type of training they get when someone innocently asks "are you an Indian?"

Ok, sorry to disappoint, but, I'm quite sleepy. I think I've babbled enough for the night, and I will write more tomorrow! I'm looking forward to reviewing my summer with you. If you made it this far, you rock!

Mariner's Museum & USS Monitor Center

2009-05-26T11:58:00.011-04:00

Last week I visited the Mariner's Museum & USS Monitor Center located in Newport News, Virginia.

The Mariner's Museum and USS Monitor Center are connected, and for one price you get both experiences. I spent the majority of my time in the USS Monitor Center, and did a backwards worn out (as in tired) tour of the Mariner's Museum.

The USS Monitor Center is the home of the Ironclad ship that fought in the Civil War. It sank, due to weather problems - a horrible storm off the coast of North Carolina's Outer Banks, on Dec 31st 1862. Located just off the southeast of Cape Hatteras, the wreck site, where the majority of the ship still lies, was the first marine sanctuary in the United States. In 1978 exploration began to find the ship, and in 1998 the propeller was pulled from the water.

The propeller on display.

In 2001, the Sanctuary and the Navy brought up the steam engine, which I did not see at the exhibit. And then, in 2002, just as funding started to run out (days left) the huge turret was found - a revolving gun turret - was discovered, along with the remains of two soldiers, and two of the cannons. A conservation building was built specifically for the conservation of the turret and other objects found. The bodies of the two soldiers are in Hawaii, not sure why...awaiting identification.

They have a great exhibit though. Despite the age and legend of the Mariner's Museum (which could go under some much needed updates) the USS Monitor Center is full of technology that is often seen in contemporary museums.

The entrance to Ironclad Revolution at the USS Monitor Center.

When you enter you go through a series of films, leading you room to room, which discuss the documentation and the experience that took place on the Monitor the night of it's sinking. It's a powerful and stimulating film that incorporates the entire environment of the small theater room. It turns out the last thing seen of the ship, after most of the crew was saved, was the lantern - a red lantern light that kept flashing, flashing..and flashing, until it finally disappeared. After you watch a video of the finding of the turret, cannons, and lantern (very touching!!) you step into a room where the lantern is displayed. The display is like the Hope Diamond. It's just the lantern, which underwent a remarkable conservation practice. I wish the picture was better, but I didn't want to use a flash..

The lantern of the USS Monitor

After you see the lantern, you are led through a variety of exhibits discussing the history of ship armory and weaponry, with interactive HD tv's featuring actors posing as historical figures, a computer game that was virtually impossible to play, and really amazing miniature ships. People spent a lot of time in here, there was a lot to learn, and it was quite interesting.

The next area discusses the atmosphere pre-Civil War and what led up to the War itself. You hear quotes from individuals like Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, various military officials as well. It was semi interesting, but, I spent little time in this area for I knew the basics. The next spot discussed the lead up to the building of the ironclads, which was also slightly interesting, but not enough to make me want to stay in the large room made out to seem like an important officials meeting room - there were paintings, high end objects owned by regional military personnel of the period, etc.

Next we learned about the building of the ship, and what went into it, and the competition between the North and South to create these ironclad ships. It was interesting, and the room that discussed it featured a replica of the Monitor, which you could walk into, etc. After exploring this, they then had built a replica of the quarters for the soldiers and officials who lived on the Monitor. The housing was beautiful, for it's small cramped quarters - silks, white wash, silver decorations, candlelight - all meant to feel at home. I learned about the food that was served, that their chef was African American, that a lot of cured beef and ham was served, and that everyone knew every one's business - cramped quarters, if you will. They showed tons of objects that were discovered at the site - silverware with the names of fallen heroes who sank with the ship, wine bottles, glasses, and personal goods.

Then, they discussed the end of the war, freedom of slaves (in light) and such. And then they had a large display area that featured a remake of the huge turret - which was amazing, and they had reconstructed how the turret looked when they found it in the ocean - shells and barnacles, etc. You could walk into it, and it was well done - they even showed what objects were found there, based on photographs, and two casted skeletons showing the placement of the men who died in the turret.

This area also discussed the weaponry, the power of the turret, etc. A hallway lead you to the conservation building, which was built specifically to house the turret, cannons, and some other objects. The turret and cannons are currently undergoing a chemical destabilization (?) process that will make it possible to do conservation work on these important pieces in the future. Special tanks were built. The turret tank was too big to be photographed. But, here is a photo of one of the cannons in it's custom tank. Wires exposed on top help to monitor (no pun intended) the chemical levels, temperatures, etc. This is a working conservation lab, 9-5, Monday through Friday, and they also have billboards and posters discussing what is going on in the lab "this week" and such...it was VERY cool!!

I always get excited about this stuff, being a lover of transparency. It'll be very cool to go back and see what takes place after the objects are ready to be removed from their tanks.

The USS Monitor Center is very cool, and well worth it. I explored for about 1 1/2 hours. Lots of reading, and some interactive stuff that kids might think is cool. Great for even people who aren't big military history buffs - it's fascinating, slightly creepy, and very cool. There are also plenty of videos that are shown, I only saw the introduction one.

It's part of the Mariner's Museum, which is a must see for lovers of nautical history, war history, etc. The museum features exhibits on Chesapeake Bay nautical history, cartography, miniature ships, military naval history, a ship building shop (it was closed that day), a miniature building shop (closed that day) and a really great exhibit about small boats.

I put a ton of energy into my experience at the Monitor, which probably contributed to my struggle for attention at the Mariner's Museum area. I explored it backwards too, which I wish I wouldn't have. They don't do a great job at guiding the visitor, and since it's a chronological exhibit, it serves best to explore it the right way.

I started out at the rotating exhibit featuring a painter from the early 20th century who painted the ship building experiences of builders in Norfolk. There isn't anything on the website, and I didn't write his name down, which really stinks - it was amazing. Regardless, I wish I would have taken notes! Boo!!

The miniature ships were so cool, and they have an exhibition featuring the miniature ships of August Crabtree. The ships are displayed like jewels, each in its own display case. Veterans play the roles of docents in much of the museum, and a docent was on hand to discuss the history and process of ship building.

They have a small Titanic display, where you can see some artifacts from the tragic ship, and put on a life jacket and sit in a replica Titanic life boat. Then you explore the history of the naval world - from torpedo's (they have an awesome interactive with a torpedo hitting a Japanese ship) to submarines, and all the way back into history. The father back it goes into history (the beginning of the exhibit) the more jumbled and chaotic the displays are - tons of labels, images, and objects, but not enough concentration on the content. It's overwhelming. They discuss cartography in a confusing manner, and feature so many objects - including slave shackles from a slave ship, Native artifacts from the first whites to explore the continent, and more.

This area needs major renovation, but, they have a ton of remarkable objects, and the mini ships are so cool!

A small sea glass exhibit featured glass pieces from ship related culture. This was a sea glass window. Note the Prophet and Tukoseemalta. Bizarre!

The final part of the museum (not including the gift shop of course) is a fairly extensive exhibit on ship history in the Chesapeake. They start with the first peoples - Native people - and how they explored and created vessels. Then onto explorers, settlers, onto fishermen, oyster shucking culture, buoys (surprisingly cool!) and sailing. It really helps to encompass boating culture in the region, and was a nice regional exhibit.

French made lighthouse lamp from the early 20th century, from the Chesapeake.

Oh! Also, finally, they had an AWESOME building dedicated to small boats. It was really cool. Over 75 boats from all cultures - many made for the museum, some donated, collected, etc. From small viking boats to Inuit canoes to Japanese fishing vessels to pleasure boats and Criss Crafts. Super awesome, and worth seeing.

Overall, the Mariner's Museum and USS Monitor Center provided an excellent afternoon of naval exploration. A great sight for everyone from Navy Vets to novice pleasure seekers. The main museum can use some updating, but, perhaps with the draw of the Monitor Center, this can lead to more income and donors.

Oh, and the gift shop was full of plenty of Made in China goods, but a nice book shop. Nothing too exciting to see.

Small boats, Mariner's Museum

Basket Making Workshop with Pamunkey Tribe, last Saturday

2009-05-26T09:52:00.016-04:00

Last week I spent a good part of my time working on researching Pamunkey and Potomac related basket making techniques.

I went to the Rockefeller Library, which is part of the CW Foundation, and pulled books on Appalachian basket making. The techniques used by Appalachian basket makers are very similar to those of the Pamunkey, and other Virginia Indian groups. They use white oak, which ends in a beautiful, smooth, and natural basket, and durable too.

I spent quite sometime reading about basket making and the history of, including the influence of Indian basketry on Appalachian techniques. Buck chose sections from some of the books to include in a packet we were putting together to distribute to those who attended the class. This included a how-to portion featured in the book Appalachian White Oak Basketmaking, Handing Down the Basket by Rachel Nash Law and Cynthia W. Taylor.

We then copied some photographs from the book Basketry of Appalachian Mountains by Sue H. Stephenson. The images we pulled shows some of the similar technique that we read about in "Indian Notes and Monographs" which was a series of publications discussing Native Americans and First Nations people published int he early 1900s (1915-1925, etc) by the Heye Foundation (which was the original foundation for the National Museum of the American Indian). Anthropologist Frank Speck spent time exploring and living with Native Virginian Indians and wrote an article about the Rappahannock Indians, a tribe that traditionally fell under Powhatan's rule in the 16th century etc. Many of these related Virginian tribal communities have some similar craft styles, so we were able to take the small group of information featured in his document and include that into the packet. This document also featured some images of Pamunkey/Rappahannock basket makers.

Speck featured images, and most importantly some documentation in regards to a special type of rim weaving that is only see in Virginia Indian basketry, something even more specific among Pamunkey weavers.

We also took another article by Speck from another one of the "Notes and Monographs" series, discussing the Powhatan Tribes, which featured information on Pamunkey basketry.

I did some research through various museum websites in regards to baskets in collections. I emailed Crista Pack at the Eiteljorg as to any related basketry that they might have, but nothing was really related to what I was seeking. I did, however, find some baskets on the NMAI website that related to what we were looking for:

This basket was collected by Frank Speck back in the 10s/20s, and came from Potomac Creek, Stafford Co. Virginia. He says that it was made by the "Potomac Bank of Powatans" and that it is a large carrying basket of white oak splints. I'm not too savvy with explaining the aspects of basketry, but, the rim of the basket features a technique with those extra pieces of oak going down to hold the rim down, does that make sense? I'm not sure if it does..but, I'm not a basket expert.

We were also trying to learn more about fish/eel trap baskets that were made in the region. Here is an example, made by Gordon Bullock (c. 1925), which is from Stafford Co., VA, and is also made of white oak splints, from the Potomac community.

This is also in the collection at the NMAI.

We also included directions on basketmaking, provided by our basket making artisans here at CW, and a few things from the books mentioned above.

Buck then took all this information, some of the books, etc, and visited the Pamunkey Reservation last weekend, Saturday, and they hosted a workshop on traditional basket making. I was unable to attend, but Buck said it went well, with a great turnout and a lot of inspiration.

Here are some photos, compliments of Buck Woodard of the American Indian Initiative program here at Colonial Williamsburg:

All these pictures were taking at the Pamunkey Reservation:

Splitting the log, etc, from the white oak trees.

And then the process begins....

And the final product!!

The American Indian Initiative is working with Native communities, locally and beyond, to bring together community members to work together to instill traditional crafts, techniques, and history. This is just one of the many workshops planned off site from CW, which helps to not only reintroduce or work to perfect traditions within communities, but also helps to build a better rapport, relationship and strength between CW's Indian programming and Native communities near and far.

Greensprings Greenway, James County, Virginia

2009-05-19T10:43:00.009-04:00

Last week, after working, I decided to go on a hike through a local park area called the Greensprings Greenway, near where I am living. It's a beautiful park, that spans a nice distance, and connects into what is Williamsburg's own type of Monon Trail (minus train history, bars, restaurants and shops).

I saw one doe, scared plenty of squirrels, birds, and lots of greenery. It's a beautiful area, which is a perfect example of the lushness that the area has. It also features an interpretive trail that discusses the history of the area, the environment, and the animals that live there. I took some photos, so please enjoy:

These two pictures give a good view into what a lot of the water environments are like here. Wetlands with moderately sized pond/lakes with sparse trees, providing homes for frogs, osprey's, eagles, song birds, fish, beavers, and more. Sadly, I haven't seen a beaver in the wild yet!

I really love photographing moss, something about that strong green, and the lighting at the time I took it was really nice.

Farm equipment off the trail. This equipment dates back to the early-mid 19th century, and has been abandoned by farmer's from the nearby plantation land visible from the trail. This plantation/farm has been one of the nation's longest running farms, since the 17th century.

My friend, the deer that was nibbling on earthly delights when I was hiking. She stopped, we had a conversation discussing deer hitting my car, and I politely asked her to request that her relatives not cause me any more pain or sorrows in regards to vehicles. She was quite agreeable.

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians visit Colonial Williamsburg

2009-05-12T10:25:00.019-04:00

So, historically, Colonial Williamsburg has been a visiting place for various Indian nations to send delegations, trade, work, etc.

In research produced by the Public History and American Indian Initiative departments, we have been lucky to discover that many Cherokee delegations visited CW. Some sources say that the Cherokee camped next to the magazine, borrowing tents from the magazine. They had trade goods, met with Virginia leaders and at night they ate, drank and danced.

This past weekend members of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation "set up camp" outside the magazine. We were lucky to have the Warriors Anikituhwa there (though not performing, just hanging out, sharing their history, practices, and crafts) as well as the best basket maker in the Eastern Cherokee Tribe as well as the best buffalo weaver. It was quite cool, and I wish I could have gotten better pictures, but, there were so many visitors all day long that it was tough to get good shots unless I decided to push visitors out of the way :)

Larry Pourier has been here all week as well, and is staying for the duration of the week. He's Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge, and is working in public history advising us on programming and he will be charge of seeking Native talent for our Fall public history programs. He hung out all day, dressed in period as an assimilated Indian in the militia.

This morning, I met with Larry, Buck and John Standingdeer Jr., the cultural ambassador for the Eastern Band and a surveyor for the tribe. We met various CW people at the Dewitt Wallace Museum to present Standingdeer with a replica of a peace medal that was is believed to have been given to a variety of Indian community members during the 18th century. This is a rare medal, and it's so cool that the collections department worked with our metalworkers to create a small number of replicas. So, first, here is one of my not so great photos of the presentation, and then some photos from the camp.

The camp was quite cool, I was just sad that I wasn't able to really meet anyone from the Cherokee. However, I'm glad I got to meet John today, he's a really cool guy, full of insight, passion, and knowledge and I look forward to working with him in the future. Same with Larry.

There was a lot of interesting stuff at the camp. Visitors were fairly well behaved, despite the classic comments of "my great grandma was Cherokee," which was mentioned quite frequently. I'd like to learn more about how Eastern Cherokee, and Oklahomans handle that. Buck and I also got the worst of the visitors, an older man in his late 60s to mid 70s asking me if I was "an Indian" (which I said "maybe...I could be...but no") and proceeded to tell Buck and I that alcoholism is the biggest problem on reservations and that Indians are making a ton of money from casinos and that they are all rich. As he proceeded to tell us this, and Buck diligently handled the man as I almost exploded, one of the Eastern Cherokee basket weavers just glanced at us, chuckled, and continued working on her amazing basket. Quite an experience.

It's just an honor to finally work closely with these Native peoples, learn more about how they see life, and where I can fit in as a historical thinker, as a politically concerned and active person, and socially. I know that sounds so immature, but, to finally but faces with the names, and link my recent life's work to these individuals that I have read about, studied, watched films of, handled objects once owned by...it's really awesome.

A member of the collections team, a "random 18th century guy" (as we called him), John Standingdeer, Jr. and Buck Woodard. John receives the medal.

Craftspeople from the Eastern Band of the Cherokee working on river cane baskets, pipe carving and buffalo hair weaving.

Visitors take the opportunity to fell the soft texture of the buffalo fur and speak with the craftspeople.

Basket maker from the Eastern Band of the Cherokee

Detail of river cane, a plant found on the bottom lands of mountains near streams and rivers.

River cane soaking.

Craftsman making pipe bowls.

Willie from the public history department moonlights as an Indian trader sharing traditional European trade goods with visitors.

Detail of trade goods

The Warriors share their talents, history and culture with visitors. Here people were able to learn about the art of moccasin making.

John Standingdeer Jr. (Eastern Band of Cherokee), Larry Pourier (Oglala Lakota) and Buck Woodard (Lower Muskogee Creek) man the camp.

Visitors and members of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee.

and now for something completely different

two awesome shots of the carpet at the governors mansion

Sweet! We made Indian Country!

2009-05-08T13:23:00.001-04:00

We're quite giddy here today, because on May 6th (we're a little late...yes) our Cherokee Delegation press release went out and made it in Indian Country! This is basically the New York Times of the Indian world.

You can read the article about the Cherokee delegation coming to camp for the weekend...here!

Yorktown National Battlefield

2009-05-08T12:12:00.011-04:00

I was able to take sometime in the past week to do an incomplete visit to Yorktown National Battlefield, the final battle which won the Americans their independence from the British with help of the French.

The entrance to the park.

The nice thing about the historic triangle (they call this, Williamsburg, and Jamestown that) is that when you go to both Jamestown and Yorktown you pay $10 and you get to go to both for one week as many times as you want. So I took advantage of the admission paid at Jamestowne to visit here. Again, I hadn't visited here in over 10 years, and I look forward to going back before my stay here is finished.

The battlefield museum is highly out of date, where it's funny. The displays are okay, but things are dusty, old and not updated in regards to conservation techniques and lighting. I was pretty interested in the African American representation there, in regards to blacks fighting in the battle, and the personal "servant" of George Washington, Billy Lee. If was able to have written this fresh from leaving Yorktown, I'd have more to say. I guess that says things didn't stick with me enough - but an entire exhibit could be made around blacks in the revolutionary war, but, I was glad to see something. They did not discuss anything in regards to Native people fighting there, but I am not sure yet of Native peoples fought at Yorktown.

So, after exploring the small museum, I took a walk to downtown Yorktown, but wanted to see the battlefields, so I didn't spend much time there. I do hope to go back, because I missed the surrender spot! I did however take a few pictures...

A section of the Yorktown Victory Monument at the town. It was passed by congress to be resurrected as early as 1781, but, ground breaking wasn't until 1876.

A replica American cannon and earthworks.

The above three pictures are French cannon replicas in the area that the French armed the heaviest, the built all the earthworks within a day and when the English woke up in the morning, they freaked out by how close the French were, and how large the mounds were.

Most people don't know that Civil War battles also took place on the land in the park. The Yorktown National Cemetery is here, featuring a small but nice plot of land catering to Civil War soldiers. There are a large number of plots dedicated to unknown soldiers, and they are all double buried, quite chilling!

A Visit to to Historic Jamestowne

2009-05-08T11:47:00.015-04:00

Last week Preston and I were able to visit Historic Jamestowne, the original site of the first permanent settlement by the English in America. I love National Parks, something about visiting them gets me way too excited, like a child, and I just want to explore as much as I can. I feel safe at these places, and it's been sometime since I've visited a National Park, and over 10 years since I had been to Jamestowne.

First we visited the glass making house, where the archaeological site is wonderfully preserved and reconstructed glass houses are being used to create famous Jamestowne glass.

The settlement failed with making glass, they made small portions and decided to retire the glass making attempts quickly. We even took a look around at the cool items made at Jamestowne, but, the items were WAY to expensive. Seems they were just as expensive as when my dad went there back in the 70s with my mom - he could only afford a small glass coaster, which was the same for us, but we didn't purchase anything! We did take some pictures, and hung out on the beach for a few minutes.

Preston and I on the beach near the glass house. Our attempt at a self-couple portrait :)

The beach at Jamestowne near the glass house

The two glass houses, both in use. The two guys, dressed in pseudo peasant period clothes, were smoking cigarettes and drinking soft drinks when we walked up. It took a few more tourists to show up before they started working and talking about their personal lives to each other while acting like we didn't exist. Regardless, they're cool "pods" and the process of glass blowing is really fascinating to watch.

Next, we walked over to the site of the fort, after briefly exploring the museum, which is fairly updated. I was impressed with the section (albiet small) dedicated to the Native people of Virginia, they discussed their historical importance and their contemporary worlds and contemproary photographs. This section also shows some interesting artifacts that relatives of the Rolfe family claim were Pocahontas (like a pair of really sweet pearl earrings!).

We saw a lot of turtles - swamps surround the fort area. It is a beautiful location, a shame so many people had to die to make it work.

They have been doing archaeological digs here for over a decade and have been finding impressive things. There is an entire museum on site dedicated to the remains and the archaeological finds. These are the same people seen in "Pocahontas Revealed" exploring the Powhatan village across the James River. It was very windy, and the students and staff weren't there for sometime, then when they came back they covered up and closed down shop.

The old church at Jamestown, this church is still a holy spot, but, it ceased having a steady congregation after the capital was moved to Williamsburg due to the tough terrain people had to pass to go to it. It's a haunting place, they believe a knight is buried there.

I'm sure you can guess who that is - yes, Pocahontas. She is right next to the church, and her presence is almost saint-like. The fascination and reverence that people hold towards her is remarkable, and you can see this by how many times her hands have been rubbed. A volunteer told me that community members want her remains brought back to Virginia. I didn't question it.

Graves of settlers who most likely died during the starvation time, a painful time when 80% of the population died at Jamestowne. They have the names of those they believe are buried here, and the crosses don't represent the amount in this presumed mass grave. There is a name on the list that is a surname of P's family, so it's triggered curiosity for us.

Preston "modeling" (not really...) at one of the reconstructed living spaces in the fort.

Captain John Smith, the man who started it all. He exaggerates, he makes a ton of money writing overinflated books about his life when he moves back to London, then dies a pathetic man.

the end.

Dr. Duane King visited, Apr 30

2009-05-08T10:42:00.007-04:00

Dr. Duane King, director of the Gilcrease Museum visited last week for a lecture sponsored by us and the Foundation as part of the American Indian Lecture Series.

Our flier for "Cherokee Diplomacy in the 18th Century" with Dr. Duane King. The painting is of Cunne Shote and the medal (front and back) is a recent Virginia metal (rare piece) that could have possibly been presented to tribal members in the 18th century.

Cunne Shote, from the Museum of the Cherokee Indian

Dr. King is a foremost authority on Cherokee history and culture. His groundbreaking research and archaeological work at Chota, has been very important to Native historians and early American historians alike. He works with/for the NMAI, Museum of the Cherokee Indian, and other organizations as well.

Dr. Duane King

To hang out with him for two days was amazing, between him and Buck, my brain was exploding with information. His lecture was stimulating and fascinating, all based on his book about Cherokee diplomacy (I can't find the title right now). His writing about Ostenaco and the Cherokee "Kings" who traveled to Europe was so neat to learn about, and their treatment by the English as rock stars, and the failures of the man who brought them there.

It was an honor to help host him, and I look forward to reading his book, and learning more from him perhaps in the future!

Meherrin Delegation at Colonial Williamsburg 4/28

2009-05-07T11:52:00.012-04:00

On the 28th of April we hosted the Meherrin Indians from North Carolina at Colonial Williamsburg. It was a whirlwind day of filming, talking, learning, exploring, and more.

One of the goals here at CW's American Indian Init. is to use tactics of delegation to involve Native peoples who were historically mentioned in the records and involved at CW in primarily the 1760s up to just after the Revolutionary War. The Meherrin tribe is a small, state recognized group who historically fought alongside various groups (Cherokee, Shawnee) at Williamsburg during the Revolution. The Meherrin who visited were friendly and very willing to share their experiences and opinions about being Native in the Southeast.

This was my first time working with a community of Native peoples, and it was an overwhelming and powerful day for me.

Here is a link to their tribal website : http://www.meherrintribe.com/

So, we invited a delegation consisting of Chief Lewis and various (often family members) other community members. Seven came in all, anxious to learn more about relationship potentials with CW and their historical interactions at Williamsburg.

We started out taking a tour of the costume design center (CDC) at CW. I had yet to go here either, and this was a very rare (they rarely allow tours) chance to explore this impressive and amazing center that creates all the clothing that interpreters and actors wear at CW. We were given a tour by Tom, the head of the department (I believe it's Tom, I've met so many people lately...). We saw everything - from dry cleaning to where they loan out the clothing, to the bar codes on each article, to the racks and racks of buttons, lace, ribbon and fabric...the conservation area, etc.

Tom presented a selection of articles related to Native life at CW and in the 18th century to share with the Meherrin's. We saw pieces that were created for a character that is represented during black history month - a slave woman who is kidnapped by Indians (not sure what tribe), is assimilated into tribal life, is traded back to Williamsburg, returned to her owner, and she remains assimilated as an Indian - wearing traditional clothing, etc of the period (which is heavily European actually). It was quite exciting! We also got to see the first of many trade shirts which are being created for Native interpreters. Chief Lewis received his, which he would be wearing in filming later in the day.

After CDC we went to Collections, where the department showed us a pair of 18th century moccasins (similar to what the Meherrin's could have historically worn), and a very rare (one of 6 in the world) slave halters.

I was able to take some pictures, you'll see those farther down.

After collections we went to PP&V for the filming of a scene featuring Chief Lewis! Chief Lewis donned his newly made trade shirt to be involved in a scene featuring Daniel Boone, being adopted into a Shawnee family. The Chief got to bath, apply paint to and "pluck" Boone. Electronic Fieldtrips are ways for people who can't necessarily make it to CW to learn about history connections at CW and beyond. These are DVDs and internet programs that schools use to educate kids. The highest showings are in California and Oklahoma, making Native history a strong priority in the programs. CW prides itself on bringing Native people in to play Native peoples, and Chief Lewis was quite excited to be in the show!

The EF that he was working on is called "Westward!" and tells the story of Daniel Boone.

http://www.history.org/history/teaching/eft/eft_09.cfm

After a very long day, Buck went out to dinner with the Meherrins and Preston and I hooked up for dinner.

It was a successful day of learning, exploring and educating. It'll be great to see where things go with the Meherrin's.

I did get opportunities to speak with members of the community while Chief Lewis was filming, as we sat in the green room. They shared horrible stories of racism. One of the elder members of the group stated that going to school in the 60s in North Carolina - it was horrible, and that her mother had to meet her at the bus stop everyday or she'd come home bloodied and beaten. She went to an all black school - the Native experience in the African American contemporary south, an experience rarely discussed or documented.

One of the younger Meherrins stated that "It's better to be black then Native in North Carolina, at least blacks have a place there." It was quite an eye opening and powerful statement, I'm still trying to let it sink in.

One of the women spoke of the horrors of having crosses burned on her yards as a child. Another Meherrin spoke of racism, discrimination, and the struggles of being racially profiled by cops.

It was an eye opening experience, and something I haven't heard much about. It's painful to hear...

Regardless, here are some photographs from our trip to CDC. Thank you to the Meherrin people for visiting us, letting us take them into our world (my new world!) and thank you for being so open about your life experiences. I look forward to seeing you again in CW and beyond!

A member of the collection team (in white lab coats) shows 18th century Iroquoian moccasins to members of the Meherrin tribe.

All the objects, especially the moccasins, were well documented by the Meherrin. These photos will be inspiration for regalia making, historical documentation, and also serve as strong connection with their cultural heritage.

Buck (far left) explains the history of the slave halters. This rare object is one of six (we believe) in museums worldwide. A fragile item used by Iroquoian tribes to transport slaves.

First Leg of the Trip

2009-05-07T11:07:00.014-04:00

I'm finally getting around to getting my images uploaded online. Thanks for your patience. I have very limited high speed internet access around here!

We left Indianapolis on 24th of April, heading to Baltimore for the wedding of two friends. We being Preston and I, who traveled together, and friends being Vivian and Noah. We stayed in the very cute and very cool Baltimore Hostel, which was right across the street from one of the oldest Cathedral/Basilica in the United States and the Enoch Pratt Free Library, which hosts the Edgar Allen Poe Collection. We had time to walk over to the library, and step inside, but we weren't able to see the Poe collection, sadly. There was a giant chess board, and some lovely architecture. Here is a photo:

The wedding was a great success, most of our pictures were that savvy, but, I'm sure better ones will arise for friends who were there. Noah and Vivian are great people, and I am so honored to know them both, and even more honored to have been Best Man in their wedding. We were so worn out from the trip out East and running around like maniacs from the wedding we called the night early (how lame!) and, P was getting a bit sick, so we headed to Williamsburg early to get some rest.

Remember that song "The Freaks Come Out at Night?" well they come out for weddings too! And yes, that is me, fourth (including photographer) from the right! Shorty!

We cruised to Williamsburg, and we were lucky to get some nice glimpses of the Chesapeake, which brought back fond memories of the Northeast for Preston, and find memories and new memories to be made of the Southeast, for me.

Preston overlooking the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland

We then arrived in Williamsburg, in the cottage I'm staying at for the week. We took a load off, and work for me started the next day.

I am working with Buck Woodard of the American Indian Initiative Program at Colonial Williamsburg. I'll have more information about mission statements, etc, later, but our main goal is to incorporate the Native story into the public history at CW. That means, all the stuff that happens on the street (re-enactor/actors etc) and more.

Buck invited Preston along with us, so after P and I got my parking pass and volunteer badge, we explored CW for a while before meeting with Buck.

It had been sometime since I had visited Colonial Williamsburg, the last time I had visited was in 1992 or 1993, with my mother, and I was fascinated by it then, and I feel just as fascinated by it now. We entered through the Visitors Center, and explored the new plantation area they had created. This featured African American and White 3rd person interpreters discussing middle class plantation life in the 18th century.

We were greeted by a African American man playing a slave, who shared with us the details of middle-class plantation life, the different buildings, the amount of slaves owned at the time and the classes of the period in regards to farm life in the mid-to-late 1700s. He was dressed in period clothes, and had two bags around his neck, small bags that looked almost African inspired, for the sake of period dress. I asked him about the bags, he said they are a part of his Native American heritage (remember, this is a 3rd person interpreter, not a person posing as if they are a slave, which would be 1st), so we discussed this and I asked him if they ever have any 1st person interpretation involving master and servant type aspects, he said no, and shook his head with strong fervor as if to say "no, and never."

We moved along and explored different areas of the plantation space. The two African American interpreters were just chilling out by the entrance, while all the white interpreters were working on the farm. Quite a strange situation.

There was a garden behind the slave room, which could house up to 12 people (and in reality it could house about 2-3 people). Here is an image of the "African Inspired Garden" that was planted next to a traditional Anglo style garden in the back.

It is known that white middle and lower class farmers did work alongside their slaves. Here is a white interpreter manning the fields with his very cute oxen. He later told us to go to the Golden Corral to sample Southern food. Yes, Golden Corral.

We then moved along to the main area of the old town, exploring some familiar buildings and so forth, eventually we met up with Buck, where we discussed the basics of what I'll be doing, the struggles to incorporate true stories of the Indian experience at CW, and such.

Here are a few images from our day of wandering at CW...

The gardens at the famous Governors Mansion. We described the smell of boxwood's as a "Delightful dog urine smell," and Virginia has a lot of boxwood's.

More gardens at the mansion

Very cool burial at the Bruton Parish Church

And more in the next post...above!

Yes, I am alive

2009-05-04T15:01:00.000-04:00

Yes! I am alive, as stated above. I am currently in Williamsburg, and the beautiful little home I am staying in has only dial-up, so it's tough to do certain activities.

Right now I am at the library, finishing up a few things for class. I am off to Colonial Williamsburg to watch the first of three weekly installments of Rev City - more about that later.

I also don't have the correct USB cord to upload my photographs onto my computer. I have a hand me down laptop which does not have a memory card reader, so that is not possible. I have to track down the proper USB cord, so I can upload my images, so please be patient! Soon there will be photos from Jamestown, Yorktown, CW, and other things.

I'll write more later...so many exciting things are taking place!

2009-04-20T23:29:00.005-04:00

So for the past few months I have been working on rehousing the Eiteljorg's entire Edward S. Curtis photogravure collection. What is a photogravure you ask? Click on the link to find out.

These delicate images were being housed in their original portfolios, as seen here:

These portfolios, with three gate folds, have gold stampings on the side with the number of the image series (i.e. 1-16 or so). Each case holds about 35 images, featuring a table of content with Curtis' original comments on selected photos. These were published in the early 1900's, and most of these were purchased by Harrison Eiteljorg throughout his expansive period of collecting. The museum also owns many multiple copies, and some photographs were purchased to "fill in" for missing photos, which Harrison, or other collectors, acquired over the years.

The portfolios are stored in a stacked shelved unit in a temperature controlled environment, known as The Vault, where all objects are housed unless on display.

I am taking these images out of their original portfolios and rehousing them in archival boxes. Many of the photogravures are also matted from exhibition at the museum, and these will be reorganized to meet organizational standards involving safe storage, preservation, and accessibility.

And, to save time, I have taken these images from the Library of Congress' Edward S. Curtis website, since his images have lost their copyrights. I am downloading these high res images and uploading them into our TMS system, giving proper credit to the LOC. This saves the Eiteljorg time and money from photographing over 700 photogravures. The only images we are photographing are those not listed on the LOC website (less than a handful) and those that show signs of conservation concerns.

So, here are some images of my project, involving the rehousing of the pieces. It is yet to be completed and will be finished in the Fall upon my return to Indianapolis.

The portfolio upon opening.

The content page with Curtis' text.

Here is a photogravure in its new home, an archival box. Upon finishing a box, I place the content sheet on top, with tissue, and then we leave it up to Amy on what to do with the original portfolios. Sometimes I wonder if they should even be accessioned? Makes me wonder what gets accessioned or not, in regards to accessories to collections? If that makes sense...?

Up close. I don't know the name of this image, sorry!

And here it is, safe and sound.

Eventually I'll have images of the final collection housed. But, you get to anxiously wait until the Fall.

I did get all the images in the computer though, so that's exciting!

Ok, back to my finals!

Museums and the Web 2009

2009-04-20T20:25:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago Amy McKune asked me to represent on her behalf at the Eiteljorg's hosting of a demo for the Museum & the Web Conference 2009. Amy, along with Dr. Larry Zimmerman and Richard McCoy (Objects Conservator at the Indianapolis Museum of Art) worked together with the Purdue computer science department's assistant professor of CS Daniel Aliaga and grad students Alvin Law and Yu Hong Heung, to create a unique conservation technique titled "An Interactive Display for Real-Time Viewing of Virtually Restored Museum Artifacts" Here is a link to the paper, I'd take a look there, for a better explanation of what it consists of, and how it executes itself.

So, Monday, I greeted the Purdue team and helped (alongside with help from Larry & Richard and the staff at the Eiteljorg) them set up their demo for the following day's staff demo and pre-conference demo.

I admit, it was a long process...however, it worked out well, and after plenty of hitches, it eventually went off without any. It did take about 9 hours to set up, but, on Tuesday everything went well and the team was off to the IMA for an equally as long set up, with a new object.

It's an interesting project, and I think could have potential use for public interaction and conservation interaction.

Here are a few images documenting the set up for your viewing pleasure, click on the picture to see my flickr show. Just short and sweet.

First Post

2009-04-20T09:35:00.001-04:00

Why hello there! My name is Sarah, and yes, as you see above, I am Your Favorite Museum Intern.

I am a 28 year old "adult learner" who returned a few years ago to college after a stint as a make up artist for a major cosmetics company (if 6 years is a stint). Life happens, and it was time to head in a different direction.

I was surprised to find out that I could get an actual degree in regards to working in museums. I decided to go for it, also getting a degree in General Studies, at Indiana University at Indianapolis. After leaving the cosmetics industry, I took on a job as a gallery director at a fine art gallery in Indy, called the Domont Studio Gallery. I was lucky to have hardcore experience working in a fast paced environment of a for-profit art gallery. From this venue I gained contacts in the public and private sector, and had hands on experience of handling of objects, curating, artist relations, marketing, and more.

This is my final year in school, and I've done quite well for myself in regards to school. I came back in 2006 having to make up a 1.548 GPA from my first "attempt" at school just after high school graduation. I did bad in class, but I got an A+ in partying hard, I can tell you that. I now have a really great GPA, and I won't rub it in. It took a lot of hard work, and I am proud to say I'm a regular on the Dean's List and a "Roads Scholar" no, not a RHODES scholar. This means I get free parking on campus for a good consistent GPA. No Oxford for me, sadly.

Anyway, in the program we have to do a number of internships. I, luckily, had a great contact in Jennifer Complo McNutt, the curator of Contemporary Art at the Eiteljorg Museum. She also is the head of the museums amazing Fellowship program, which brings contemporary Native Americans into the international spotlight by providing money and support, and then an epic show in the Fall of their years work at the museum (and it's by far one of the most groundbreaking and innovative art fellowship programs in the world, and she works her butt off, as does everyone here involved for this program). Jennifer was able to put me in contact with Amy McKune, Director of Museum Collections at the Eiteljorg. Amy weaseled me in to the collections department, and I have been interning here since February.

I work alongside Crista Pack, Conservation Technician, and yes, that is a link to an article in the New York Times that has Crista in it. Yes, New York Times! Anyway, we work together to document, catalog, photograph, stare at and conserve. She does the fancy conservation work, I just take some nice photos, stare at nice photos, and stow away the nice photos.

My main task, which is overseen by Amy and Dr. Larry Zimmerman, my mentor, is rehousing and organizing photogravures by the infamous Edward S. Curtis. We have over 700 Curtis' in our collection, and I have taken on the task of housing them in archival boxes, in an organized fashion, and making sure there are images of each piece in our handy program, The Museum System (this is sort of like a computer library of all the objects a museum has and the info to go with each item). Since the copyright expired on these pieces, instead of photographing almost 800 photos, I am taking them off the Library of Congress website (and yes, giving credit to them in TMS) and taking photographs of items that have conservation issues, or are not on the website (only a few). This allows for curators and collections staff to easily gain access to the images, without having to disrupt the objects by unnecessary handling.

So, on that note, today is actually my last day here. In the Fall I will be coming back to do more work, and finish my project, thanks to the awesome staff here at the museum being so flexible.

Why am I leaving? Well, I decided to apply at two other plays for internships: The National Muesum of the American Indian, at the Smithsonian in D.C. and Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. To my surprise I got both. So, this week, Friday, I will be leaving Indianapolis to head off to Colonial Williamsburg to work with Buck Woodard of their public history department's American Indian Initiative. Here we will be working with Native communities to incorporate their historical and contemporary stories into CW and Virginia public history programs.

Then, I leave for DC and from June 1-August 7 I will be living on George Washington University campus and working at the NMAI's research facility in Maryland doing research work in regards to an upcoming exhibit. This is a dream come true for me!

So, a long story short, here you can learn about my projects, my life as I meld into the museum industry, and struggles and non-struggles. I will be documenting my experiences at historical and cultural venues throughout the Southeast, as well. My work goals focus on Native American and minority representation in public history - and my writings will document that greatly.

Ok, back to work!