Reading for January 22, 2013

Mickey Mouse History and Other Essays on American Memory by Mike Wallace

            This week’s reading in Mickey Mouse History dealt with the historian’s role in the various aspects of museum work.  One of the first interpretations that museums took in displaying the different aspects of history was by presenting it in terms of a “white ethnic reading.” (pg. 57)  Only the aspects of the country’s history that dealt with white Americans achieving something was displayed and explained to the viewer.  This attitude that museums employed had to change as the visitor’s attitude changed.

            Wallace discussed how one of the highest priorities of a museum was to promote particular views, not all of the views available. (pg. 76)  This priority had to change along with the attitude regarding the white ethnic reading. 

            The historians in museums now have to adjust for the “cyberculture” that Wallace discussed. (pg. 102)  The new culture of having a great deal of information online, or on electronic devices has changed how historians gather their data.  Artifacts are still collected, but many of the new entries for museums to consider are digital.  These records require a new way of storing and preserving them, which is an aspect that historians are adjusting to.

Public History Essays from the Field by James Gardner and Peter LaPaglia

            This week’s reading in Public History discussed the role of historians as museum administrators. (pg. 47)  The discussion centered on what makes a good administrator, which had more to do with personality and a person’s ability to work well with other people.  A historian might or might not fit that mold.     

  

Web Reading – Disney’s America

            This week we read an entry for a website that discussed Walt Disney’s proposed new theme park, which was never built.  The park would have allowed the visitor to walk around America’s history, including walking around a civil war era town and rafting down a river with the Lewis and Clark expedition.  This park was never built because the people who lived near the proposed site, Haymarket Virginia, would not allow the park to be built.  They felt that the park could never present the history of the country in a fair way.  Walt Disney was forced to cancel his plan for the park, and the attractions were dispersed to other theme parks, mostly Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park and Disney’s California Adventure Theme Park. 

                                      a rendition of Disney's America, courtesy of Google Images

Website – Ellis Island

            One of the websites that we visited for this week’s reading was a site dedicated to Ellis Island, the island that so many immigrants traveled through on their way to America.  The website allows the viewer to search for a specific immigrant, or to help track their genealogy.  The website provides a lot of pictures that allows the visitor to visually travel though Ellis Island.  The site is very helpful for those visitors who wish to find one of their ancestors who may have arrived in the United States through Ellis Island. 

Video – Black Interpreters at Colonial Williamsburg

            I was unable to view this video.  I tried switching browser, but the video still would not allow me to press the play button.  I am unsure if I am the only member of the class who had this problem.