Initially, I
had a hard time coming up with an idea for a project. The readings and sites
from this week inspired me to think about how history and art intersect, an
activity that required some inbreeding between my historical interests and
background as a visual artist (where I have traditionally relegated
storytelling). I feel that this project could serve as an opportunity to try to
bridge the gap.
The sites
Welcome to Pine Point, Small Town Noir, and the Digital Vaults of the National
Archives motivated me to think creatively. Pine Point and Small Town Noir both
told poignant and touching stories, feelings that I would like my project to
also radiate. The Digital Vaults succeeded in demonstrating the connections and
complexities that a single era/event/person entails.
Currently, I
am researching the Civic Club of Philadelphia and their efforts to centralize
the School District of Philadelphia. Prior to 1905 locally elected ward boards
ran Philadelphia schools with their individual neighborhoods, monitored by a
loosely constructed and minimally powerful central Board of Education. The
Civic Club was one organization among many Progressive Era reform groups. Specifically,
I would like to tell the story of one campaign that the Civic Club ran in 1895
to get two women of the club elected to the Ward Board of the Seventh Ward.
I do not
have access to much of the primary material to create a digital archive of the
event, yet I am collecting materials related to Progressive Reformers of
Philadelphia with Omeka that I can link to my final project.
I am
imagining creating a series of multimedia images and possibly animations
(potentially posted to a blog, as this will not require that I pay for hosting)
that could serve as a teaching tool for students. The subject matter will
revolve around the Civic Club’s campaign of 1895, but will try to connect the
narrative with other event, people and places.
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