Steven Lubar at Temple University

Temple University Libraries invited guest Steven Lubar, hailing from Brown University, to a public conversation about public humanities. Our very own Museums in American Culture professor, Seth Bruggeman, hosted. Steven Lubar currently is head of a graduate program in public humanities at Brown University’s. Among other things, Lubar was also a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

The event was constructed as a conversation between Seth Bruggeman and Steven Lubar. Each discussed ideas and questions, then gradually opened up the conversation to questions and comments from the audience. As Lubar pointed out, it is a great way to engage the public about public history and humanities. Lubar stressed that public humanities and public history should incorporate various studies, like anthropology, folk art, sociology, and of course history. An important concept within theses fields is the “public” association with projects and studies. Both agreed that it is important to engage the communities and include them in conversations. After all, it is public studies.

The conversation shifted gears to the inner workings of museums. Both are convinced that in the future museums will take on a new look as the design breaks down to address new audiences and spaces. Not only will the spaces become different, the professionals and their positions within museums will change. The increase of technology could replace the current object and knowledge designs, though as studies show and Lubar has noticed, some youth resist technology. This is an interesting idea that our class first discussed after reading an article in The Connecticut Cultural Consumer. The study showed that in general youth did not prefer technology in museums. After studying the evolution of museums it is evident museums change as societies change, so there us no doubt that there is change ahead.

Yellow Taxis, Skyscrapers...

Individualism, celebrity, opportunity, religion, and poverty, all apart of America as described by the students of the University of East Anglia. When asked the question of what America represented to them, the students accurately described American history, popular culture, and the influence of the media and government. I found many of the statements true and agreeable, while others I felt uncomfortable with. I think that many Americans are aware of the flaws within our country and when they are pointed out it becomes frustrating and embarrassing. Similar to having a bad hair day while someone remarks, “Bad hair day?” I do believe that the United States needs to be critiqued and that it will only lead to improvements and a more informed and motivated population. For example, one statement identifies the contradictions that exist in the United States. The famous mantras of “land of the free,” and “all men are created equal” seem to lack significance and in the past have not translated of paper into everyday life. Also, the “American Dream” is another mantra that has developed around the immigration of people to the country seeking a better life, and ironically, this same country is constructing a multimillion-dollar wall with hopes to keep immigrants out. With these contradictions already at work, it is important to address the two party government system that revolves around money and functions through debt. To keep the mantra theme going, “divide and conquer” always comes to mind when I think of our current Republican versus Democrat and South versus North dilemma.

Aside from the contradictions and bad decisions, America has offered the world many positive things and has inspired many people. I think that my largest problem with many of the statements was that they revolved around popular culture media representations. Television and Hollywood movies do not provide an accurate representation of life in the United States. I cringe at the thought of the “Jersey Shore,” and movies like “American Pie.” Unfortunately, things like McDonalds, Disney, Fox News, and Starbucks have all morphed from corporations into culture. I find this frustrating because as an American, I do not identify my American citizenship with a fast food burger or an animated deer named Bambi. The beauty of the United States is that everyone has a different perspective of what it means to him or her. Forget the contradictions; ignore the media and what they say is popular culture. The complexities of our country and the constant judgment make it difficult to mess up with out a global reprimanding. In my America, I am hopeful that the future will hold more positive than negative, and that our diversity will unite us as one country under our iconic flag of red, white, and blue.

Eastern State Penitentiary

Creepy, Eerie, History

Eastern State Penitentiary received its first inmate in October of 1829. The initial goal of Eastern State was to inspire morals, work ethic, and religious penitence into the inmates. Penitence being the key, the very word “penitentiary” is rooted in. Silence and isolation from the devil was thought to help the inmates restore their inner light. The unique panopticon design, running water, and central heating put Eastern State Penitentiary on the map as an amazing work of architecture. Eventually, the severe isolation and religious guidelines began to crumble as Eastern State grew overcrowded, expensive, and the deterioration of many inmates mental heath became evident. By 1971 Eastern State Penitentiary was abandoned.

Today, Eastern State is a praised historical site that draws multitudes of curious tourists, and even veteran locals, to take a peak behind the massive walls. Options to tour Eastern State include an audio tour narrated by Steve Buscemi, guided group tours, or the popular “Terror Behind the Walls” haunted house that runs roughly from September until November. With these options, Eastern State covers all demographic bases. The audience ranges from families all the way up to groups of senior citizens. Eastern State Penitentiary incorporates their history in the tour, though it seems that the penitentiary is an entity separate from Philadelphia. Although Eastern State is a significant part of Philadelphia’s history, I did not gain an understanding of how the penitentiary has impacted Philadelphia. As we discussed in class, it is possible that some subjects may be too large to broach in a group tour environment, and some may be too difficult to tackle. A possibility for Eastern State to indulge tough questions of Philadelphia’s history could be to take a lesson from the Wagner Institute. Offering discussion classes with various topics would be a great way to incorporate larger themes, generate revenue, and ensure the people attending were interested. The artist installations provide an aesthetic break from the pealing paint and chipped plaster. I did not enjoy them all, though the “dark tourism” theme was the highlight for me. The installation makes you ask yourself “Why am I here?” “Why do I want to experience this?” And the answers are often… dark.

I think that Eastern State does a great job engaging visitors and is a great example of how “ways of seeing” has changed over the years. I feel that interaction with an original artifact has a greater gain of cultural capital than any game at the Franklin Institute.