Guiding Children through History

The African American Museum in Philadelphia aims to show that African American history is American history, and it has implemented a number of interactive features to make sure that this message is received by one of their main audiences -- school kids.

If high schoolers and adults are most engaged by the interactive timeline on the first floor, and middle schoolers are most fascinated by the moving and speaking "portraits," then younger children must be most comfortable at "The Children's Wall."  This  long illustrated stretch of wall shows, picture book style, what life was like for the 18th century African American Child in Philadelphia.  Its impressive feat is that despite its content's specificity, it invites child of any race from any city to explore what this life was like.

Possibly the most inspired part of this exhibit are the true historical figures as child guides.  They allow children to feel even more included in the story told than if their guide was an adult.  Following these characters across the wall makes it easer for kids to feel as if they are experiencing the same things.  The historical kids meet important figures between doing day to day tasks.

There is a lot of possible programming here.  Kids can use the wall to tell a story of 18th century life.  Or, they could put on a play.  The question and answer flaps could be used as a Jeopardy game guide.  

Another asset of the Children's Wall is that it is just as useful and fun to individual families as it is to a class.  The last few months have taught us that exhibits built for children are often enjoyed by adults as well. It is easy to picture parents enjoying learning what goes into "pepper pot soup" or quizzing their kids on the school room equations. 

Dawn Horse

Object: Models of the evolution of the horse, similar to drawing above

Year: Pre- 20th century

Creator: Unknown

Materials: Unknown

The collection held upstairs at the Wagner Museum is overwhelming. The Museum's mission is to preserve the history of the institution by preserving how the collection was displayed when it was first exhibited in the building. While this gives an incredible impression of what a 19th century museum looked like, the wealth of objects cause some of the smaller items (and their educational significance) to be lost in the crowd.

A prime example is the set of six models showing the evolution of the horse. These tiny objects are in a case on the side, and near the back of the exhibit, and are very nearly hidden. Also in the case are partial skeletons of a whale, a cave bear, a mastodon, and a sabre tooth cat. In the back are (very old-fashioned) drawings of cavemen hunting a cave bear. In other words, even if visitors stop to view this case, the horse models would be the last things to catch their attention. Finally, even if a visitor spots this tiny collection, the only information to be found is the latin labels of each model: starting from the earliest ancestor, Eohippus (translation: dawn horse), and going through Pliohippus, Mesohippus, Neohipparion, and Equus Scotti before reaching today's Equus Modern.

Of course the Wagner is unable to change the display, but particular programming could highlight these objects and also aid visitors in understanding scientific fields. Middle School aged children could learn about the evolutionary theory by following the horse and its ancestors back through history, noting the changes in anatomy and guessing how the environment impacted those changes. After showing the models and a picture of an Eohippus skeleton, an educator could ask why students think that horses are so much bigger now and no longer have toes.

Or, a school teacher or museum educator could introduce anthropology by exploring the humans and horses through history. Kids could learn how horses have been used to pull ancient chariots, in farm work, and for racing. Or a particular incident of man's relationship with horses could be discussed in-depth. An example could be how horses, not native to the Americas, were introduced by the Spanish in the 16th century. Later, they revolutionized the way of life for the Cheyanne and other Plains Indians to such a degree that they were called "sacred dogs."

This would not have to be permanent programming, but it could be constructive to routinely checking the collection to see what could be highlighted.

Title: Ceremonial Royal Palace of Merenptah
Year: Created around 1213 and 1204 BCE
Material: Stone
Collection: Egypt Gallery

Egyptian artifacts, like dinosaurs, are perennially popular, so it comes as no surprise that the Egypt gallery at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is widely thought of as an old favorite. This exhibit would attract anyone interested in ancient history, travel lovers, and even fans of The Mummy franchise.

The Penn Museum has always utilized the University's scientists and scholars. This palace, however, was excavated by famous archaeologist Sir William M. Flinders Petrie, a member of the Egypt Exploration Fund. Found in Memphis, it was one of the few royal palaces of ancient Egypt ever discovered. It is now an example of the museum's prestige.

The palace consists of a series of columns covered with pained, inlaid, and gilded images and symbols, all declaring pharaoh's power and his relation with the gods. It is easy to become entranced with just one of the pillars, and study it up close for a long period of time, yet walking through the columns, there is an overwhelming urge to look up. Nearly every visitor could not but help search the tops of the columns.

The palace remnants are not the only thing in the room; a sphinx is placed front and center, and there are friezes along the wall. The overall evocation is one of power, mystery, and the exotic. There is little doubt that this was exactly what the exhibit designer was aiming for, but in some ways the design was an old fashioned choice. Although the room is awe-inspiring, it is in a faux-exotic, colonial sort of way rather than actually communicating how life may have been thousands of years ago.

Egyptian exhibits nearly always commemorate royalty, for they house monuments and paintings that do the same. Perhaps including information on how daily life was lived could better illustrate the social structure in this ancient civilization for a museum visitor.

A Horse (or Ass) of a Different Color

Title: Kiang Diorama
Materials: Taxidermy, dried plant material, paint, wood
Collection: Academy of Natural Science's Dioramas

The Kiang Diorama, like the others in the exhibit, is about seventy years old. The Kiangs were donated by adventurer and ANS enthusiast Brooke Dolan II, who shot them while in Tibet in the 1930s. The display is between those of the tigers and the yak. The signage tells the viewer that the Kiang is a large wild ass, that can store up fifty pounds of fat for winter. It also relays that Tibetans have believed that the Kiang was created by the gods and is sacred, and that despite Chinese protection, they are still poached for meat and leather.

This diorama accomplishes three things: it familiarizes the strange while broadening a visitor's world view, it communicates the Museum's history, and it melds art and science to create an experience for the visitor.

Approaching the scene, a U.S. visitors may think that they are viewing a piece of American landscape such as Montana or Colorado. There is a sense of wide open space and blue sky that matches our ideal of the West, and the animals framed within the scene could be place-holding for burros or wild mustangs. It is not until these same visitors read the label that they realize they are in fact seeing a far off and unfamiliar locale with its own wildlife. This immersive type of experience, although old-fashioned, is none-the-less effective in educating a viewer about a completely unknown topic.

There is no doubt about the history of this diorama; the animals themselves are slightly worn, like well-loved toys. Yet instead of making the exhibit outdated and tired, this visible wear and tear shows how interrelated the scene is to the Museum's past. There is something that is simultaneously comforting and slightly awesome in seeing the same thing as a visitor in the 1940s.

Perhaps the first thing to make an impression, yet the last thing that a viewer consciously takes note of, is the beautifully crafted background of the diorama. The skilled painting with its mind-bending perspective is one of the main details that allows the viewer to believe themselves in a completely different environment. The recreation of the scene and even the placement of the animals show an artistic touch that accomplishes the Museum's goal to explore the boundaries of art and science.

Although there is much to be said for the traditional diorama, it might be an interesting update to add another dimension to the experience. Perhaps headphones could constantly play the sounds of environment so that visitors have the choice to involve another of their senses. It may also be helpful to the visitor to further understand the relationship between the kiangs and people, and to read more about how Tibetans and Chinese view the animal.

In any case, the diorama has the unique position of delighting every age and educational level. Both a child who has never heard of Tibet and an specialist in Himalayan wildlife can find something to delight them here.

Three Continents in Paris: A Giraffe's Journey to Join a Spectacle

Title: "La Girafe et les Osages"

Year: 1827

Creator: G. Renou

Collection: "Everything Giraffe"

The object focused on in this post is not the painting about, but rather a passage of G. Renou's "La Girafe et les Osages"as translated and displayed by the American Philosophical Society Museum. The translation reads:

"They're deceiving you, my good red skins, they're deceiving you. They're not showing you around for your own education. It is to display you as curious beasts. Perhaps you didn't know this. No, you couldn't possibly believe that you were a tool for a new kind of industry. Oh, Osages! You've been taken to the opera, to the most fashionable places, to the Gaité [theater], to the Tivoli Gardens; but it's not for your own beautiful eyes. They are taking advantage of you, good red skins. Alas!"

This passage is displayed in the "Everything Giraffe" part of the exhibition, which describes the effect Zarafa, a baby giraffe, had on French society when she visited there in 1827. Her time in Paris coincided with the visit of six Osage men and women from the American frontier. The passage reinforces the concept of spectacle shown by the other "giraffe-mania" objects.

Zarafa was so hugely popular, and such a source of inspiration, that giraffes started to crop up everywhere: from dinnerware to souveniers to fashion (all of which is displayed in the exhibit). The fervor with which this exotic animal was embraced was later mimicked by the Egyptomania that ensued after King Tutankhamun's tomb was found in the 1920s. Then, too, the concept of the foreign became a fad that grew to be more spectacle than honor of its original inspiration.

The Osages, although little mentioned in the exhibition, were also part of this spectacle, and the writers of the bourgeoning romanticism of the era, such as Renou above, noted this. Although this passage exemplifies the racism of the "noble savage" concept (the idea that a race is purer, yet less Machiavellian and clever, than another), it advances into the belief that a people should be treated with compassion, no matter who they are or where their from. In other words, it is progress.

It is thought that the Osages also visited Zarafa, which would have been a fascinating meeting between three continents. It would have been interesting to read more about the Osages' experience and journey as compared to Zarafa's. It would have been especially illuminating to read actual quotes of the Osages, considering that even in the passage about, where a giraffe gets to wax poetic about the woes of humanity, they have no voice.

Visitors from the Osage Nation might have their own account of their predecessors' travels. If so, it would really be a necessary addition.

Exploring Fun

Art flourishes where there is a sense of adventure.

~ Alfred North Whitehead

Year: 2009
Collection: Adventure Camp Treehouse

The Adventure Camp Treehouse is a tiny exhibit with multiple activities that may interest children within a range of ages. It is located between River Adventures and Rainforest Rhythms, and on top of Wonderland. Despite being a space independent within itself, it is also interactive with these afore mentioned exhibits: a periscope allows kids to view outside the treehouse, and a speaker tube lets them communicate with other visitors on the lower floor.

At its most basic, this exhibit and its accompanying small table and chairs is a playhouse, which is one of the most common and universal instruments that younger children use to learn. By imitating the adults that they know, small kids can role-play autonomy, responsibility, and social customs. Although such "playhouses" may consist only of a cardboard box, it is certainly more interesting when it has such fun activities as PTM's Treehouse!

There are exotic insects displayed, an adventuring costume to don, a xylophone to play, a flag to raise, morse code to send, and interesting plants to smell. All of these things have affiliated text, which not only aids grown-ups to facilitate, but may also interest older children. The morse code tool is particularly a perfect addition to engage surly elder siblings.

The multi-sensory approach of the exhibit also draws in different types of learners. The different smelling canisters (positioned at a four-year-old's level) lets kids sniff vanilla, coffee, bamboo, and chocolate while telling them the different places that these things are from. This is a novel way to inspire concepts of far-away locales in a young mind. It is a truly immersive space that allows visitors to understand the relationship between human life and wildlife at a basic level, which could be especially helpful for inner-city children who witness a completely different landscape.

Even though children who prefer the tea parties and the frilly dress-up clothes of Wonderland may consider passing the Treehouse by, there is truly something for everyone within it. Considering the popularity of characters such as Dora the Explorer, it seems likely that this space is almost constantly occupied.

A Glimmer of Grace in an Unforgiving Environment

Year: 1924
Material: wood, stone, plaster
Creator: Designed by architectural firm, built by inmates
Collection: Alfred W. Fleischer Memorial Synagogue

It seems likely that the Memorial Synagogue is a favorite exhibit for many who visit Eastern State Penitentiary. Al Capone's cell may be more of a spectacle, the isolation cells may resonate deeper with our deepest fears, and the art installations may broaden our perspective on modern prison issues. But in a literal and metaphorical unrelentingly dark space and history, the synagogue reveals an unexpected bright spot of hope.

Jewish inmates were always in the minority at the Penitentiary, yet as early as the first half of the 19th century, rabbis and other volunteers of the judaic faith from outside the prison walls provided them spiritual support. Fleischer, President of the Board of Trustees of the ESP from 1924-1928, was instrumental in founding the Synagogue, and numerous community members added their help to complete it.

After falling into disrepair and near ruin, the site was excavated and restored in 2008 and 2009. The Penitentiary was able to reinstate most of the ark, the benches, and the reading table, and recreated most of the plaster and lighting. It still has the feeling of a sacred and peaceful place that is further interpreted next door, where a former exercise room is full of stories of both the Synagogue and life for Jewish inmates.

This adjoining room is well laid out and very informative, but it may be beneficial to include more interactive elements. It may also be valuable to include information on Judaism in Philadelphia, so that visitors can gain even further perspective on both the prisoners and those who volunteered to help them.

It is difficult to think of someone who would not appreciate this space. Whether Jewish, Catholic, Hindu or atheist, visitors can see the Synagogue as a place that fostered mercy, hope and faith in a much more depressing surrounding environment. The restoration of the room can be seen as mirroring the invincibility of those qualities, and a testament to the complexity and compassion of mankind.