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<smintz@uh.edu> X-Posted from H-Slavery QUERY From: "Bethany Waywell" <waywelbe@bc.edu> I am beginning work on a dissertation that will be part of a growing historiography about historic museums and monuments and the way that they actively construct public historical memory. Many scholars have identified the link between collective historical memory and national identity. By looking at interpretations of slavery in both publicly funded northern and southern museums and private plantation museums, I will analyze the relationship between race, slavery and national/regional identiy. I would welcome suggestions of museums that could be used as case studies to examine the way that museum interpretations of slavery have changed (or not changed) throughout the twentieth century. If anyone knows of particularly interesting sites for this project, I would be excited to hear from you. Thank you very much, Bethany Waywell ----------------- REPLY 1 From: "Douglas Deal" <deal@Oswego.EDU> The interpretation of slavery at Colonial Williamsburg (and, inter alia, Carter's Grove) has changed dramatically over the past few decades. I remember visiting Carter's Grove in the early 1970s and struggling to find even one mention of the slaves who lived there; the interpretation dealt exclusively with the proprietors (and excluded their human property). Doug Deal History/SUNY Oswego ----------------- REPLY 2 From: Susan Cifaldi scifaldi@SBCGLOBAL.NET Have you visited the Amistad? I would be much interested in your assessment of it, if you could post the salient points to this list, in terms of interpretation of slavery as well as its affect on the construction of public memory. I am not sure exactly where it is at the moment, but here is their website: http://www.amistadamerica.org/ Susan Cifaldi Cromwell, CT ----------------- REPLY 3 From: Aaron Sheehan-Dean asheehan@UNF.EDU Bethany, I'm not sure if National Park Service sites fall within the scope of what you are considering (though they certainly help create our public historical memory). If so, the Kinglsey Planation site outside Jacksonville, FL (part of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve) might be worth a look. They do not have a museum, but slavery is a central component of the interpretation of the site. Also, the NPS staff at Kingsley are about to begin a public hearing process to solicit input from community members and others about how to interpret the site, which might prove useful for your work. Aaron Sheehan-Dean Assistant Professor of History University of North Florida ----------------- REPLY 4 From: Vivian Nun Halloran vhallora@INDIANA.EDU You can try the Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee which was founded by Dr. James Cameron. Their website is www.blackholocaustmuseum.com Their address for correspondence is: 2233 N. 4th Street Milwaukee, WI 53212 (414) 264-2500 It's a pretty small scale museum, but they do a good job of mixing a permanent collection with traveling exhibits. I've done some research there myself. They sometimes work with the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Vivian Nun Halloran Assistant Professor Director of Undergraduate Studies Department of Comparative Literature Indiana University Ballantine Hall 904 Bloomington, IN 47405 ----------------- REPLY 5 From: Jonathan Sassi sassi@POSTBOX.CSI.CUNY.EDU In response to Bethany Waywell's query, I'd recommend that she consider the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. One thing I remember from visiting there about five years ago is that there's a statue of the first person killed in John Brown's raid, who, ironically, was an African American. (He was a B&O RR employee, if my memory serves me correctly.) This statue--again, if my memory serves me correctly--had been erected by some pro-Confederate group early in the twentieth century, and was meant to suggest the Old South myth of faithful service. Of course, the depiction and memory of John Brown's raid have brought about many conflicting accounts, including an 1881 speech by Frederick Douglass. (For an excerpt of the speech, see http://www.nps.gov/hafe/douglass.htm.) For these an other reasons, Harpers Ferry seems like a likely location for Ms. Waywell to pursue her questions. Jonathan Sassi Associate Professor of History College of Staten Island and the Graduate Center City University of New York sassi@postbox.csi.cuny.edu ----------------- REPLY 6 From: Christine E. Sears csears@UDEL.EDU Some years ago there was a Winterthur thesis done on slavery and interpretation, and there may have been others since then. The one I am thinking of was authored by Jennifer Ley. I forget the name of the museum, but one of the Hudson River museums has a fairly new and very interesting program interpreting early slavery in NY. They have rich documentation (as far as slave studies go!). best, christine sears
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