Unlike fellow classmate Tina, I WAS born in the digital age, yet have escaped (chosen to sidestep is more like it) most popular forms of digital communication. I have no iphone (the dumb phone reigns supreme in my mind), I have never tweeted or blogged before, and for long trips I'll take an atlas over gps any day. Yet here I am, enthusiastically entering the world of public history, of making the past accessible and understandable to present and future generations. To do so, I just may have to delve into the digital world every now and again.
A few months ago, I had the opportunity to create a temporary exhibit for Fort Sumter National Monument about Robert Smalls, an escaped slave who fought for the Union and then became a leading politcal figure for South Carolina during Reconstruction. The exhibit commemorated the 150th anniversary of his daring escape to freedom. While textually intriguing, the exhibit itself was fairly archaic in its design--matte board frames are not exactly cutting edge. Yet it served a purpose and the audience received the message. Unfortunately, the Park Service removed the exhibit a few weeks ago. In their book, Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web, Cohen and Rosenzweig discuss the advantages to online exhibits, most of which are simple translations of preexisting analog displays. If I would embrace the digital world sitting right in front of me, Robert Smalls could perpetually remain in the public's eye--his story would never be placed in a closet until next year.
Even so, were Robert Smalls online, would a discussion section be the preferable method for visitors and historians alike to confer about his life and feats? Cohen and Rosenzweig remark that no, the web is not yet the primary vehicle for historical communication and debate. And I could ask why, but I think we already know the answer. Who doesn't love the smell of old books, the pride felt once you have mastered the scrolling bar on the microfilm/fiche machine, or tearing up at the chance to hold (white gloves and all) John Wesley Powell's pocketwatch from his 1869 trailblazing rafting trip through the Grand Canyon (yes, this did happen to me)?
The digital world of history is here, and here to stay. I can't argue that. The ability to connect with a wider audience, to transcend barriers of time, distance, and space, is an amazing tool that should be utilized to its fullest. Cohen and Rosenzweig have demonstrated the positive qualities of the history web while not igoring the dangers. And so a traditionalist like me, so tied to the tangibles, am finally ready to embrace this medium, and hopefully share my geeky history joy with others.
Congrats on the blog! klc
ReplyDeleteI really like the way you describe the sensory experience of history. I know what you mean, there's nothing like it.
DeleteI definitely agree with you that digital cannot replace actually putting your hands on an item or reading a old document in your own hands. But I think trying to recreate a museum environment on the web is the wrong way to go. When people hit the web they change their mindset. In real life they may be patient and relaxed, but on the web most people have tiny attentions spans. But I see the web as a market and with tiny data flowing in the background. I look forward to the perspective of you and Tina both to help balance me out!
ReplyDelete