Going into this year I did not have a good grasp on how important archives were to not only scholars but also the general public or anyone looking for information on a wide spectrum. I learned that archives can be under a wide variety of genres and if it has been digitized or is still a tangible form of artifact. The significance of archives from a scholars standpoint comes in a lot of options or ways; scholars use archives to further investigate primary sources to possibly write their own article about it. Through tangible archives, they have the ability to see first hand and in person what that artifact was like exactly like it was from the year it was made. The significance of tangible artifacts over digital archives is the appearance of the artifact, significant markings, exact size and texture. 2 Once something has become digitized it loses some of its cultural value I believe. The decision to digitize can come from many background ideas; a major reason used to justify the digitization of an artifact is preservation. My idea of the Federal Theatre Project changed in the sense of understanding the adversity that came with it. Looking through our class discussions about the FTP I notice all of the hardships they faced and I was under the assumption that once they initiated this project that people loved it and it took off and grew fast; but this was not the case.
Category: Special Collections
Special Collections
Archives provide a unique experience for both scholars and the general public. The archives allow for both of these consumers to see and understand material the way that it was intended to be consumed in its originality. Understanding the technology of the past will allow for future researchers to advance in the modes of production of sources regarding the way that we use tools for research, making it easier to access these archives. This can be seen in the example provided in The Artifactual Elements of Born-Digital Records, Part 2 where the author mentions that recreating of library shelving by Thomas Jefferson allows us to see his personal bookshelf but the historical figures of today may leave behind their personal library that can be kept on a hard drive of their computers.3
The influence that archives have on current authors’ and producers’ work shows that archivists should keep an open mind in accepting as much work as possible. The first part of the The Artifactual Elements of Born-Digital Records mentions how previous authors are influenced by the records and archives that they had available to them.4 This shows us that in the modern-day context of archival preservation, historians and archivists should be very liberal and accepting in their decision-making process of historical record preservation. The acceptance of more archival rather than less will allow for further influence on today’s authors that will allow for advancements of culture and education.
The Federal Theater Project was short lived even though the revenue that was generated out weighed the other Works Progress Administration’s projects revenue.5 Understanding the physical preservation of the archives from the Federal Theater Project shows the cultural impact it had on the United States’ citizens. Expansion of culture is important in the context of our class because it promotes the idea of regionalism which shows the many different cultures from all around the country and how they developed throughout the 1930s.
Blog 8
Archives are used to preserve the past as it was unedited by the framing of historical texts. As we explored the Special Collections I was struck by the volume of information that was preserved, essentially in pristine condition, about the Federal Theater Project (FTP). My group in particular had multiples of the same pamphlets as well as multiple copies of transcripts on onion paper. It underscored the ideas that we have been discussing in class all semester, historical pieces are not just stumbled upon and kept, they are intentionally selected and preserved and that selection process also needs to be interrogated.
Elvia Arroyo-Ramirez questioned ” Who gets to be remembered and historicized by way of record creation? Who is forgotten or purposefully silenced in history by way of omission or destruction of records? How are records themselves (official records created for governmental purposes in particular) used to communicate misguided notions of holistic representation, truthfulness, neutrality, and objectivity?”6 All of these questions can be used to not only interrogate the archival process and the preservation of certain history, but also about the ways those histories are remembered, retold, and reinforced by broad cultural narratives.
Although the FTP might have been deemed radical by the government, it was also extremely popular with the people. Digitized newspaper clippings and play reviews lend credence to the idea that it was broadly enjoyed by the public and the main obstacle to their success was government intervention. The “Voodoo MacBeth” was extremely popular and ran for several months with sold out crowds. Although The Cradle Will Rock was “shuttered at the last minute by nervous WPA officials who found the labor opera’s sentiments too radical”7 the public chased down the performers and listened to them sing it from the auditorium in a different theater. As the FTP continued to create perform more daring and radical works, the government also attempted to smother it by making claims about how the public would react. The archives in particular make it more obvious how well received and enjoyed the bulk of the FTP’s works were and highlighted how determined the government was to control the narratives that where being created and disseminated with their funding.
This is in contrast to how well received the Federal Music Project (FMP) was by the government although it was doing much of the same kind of work. The FMP was arguably more radical because it preserved the folk music of different kind of people and celebrated it rather than spreading specific subliminal (and obvious) messages by way of performance. The FMP fostered a more organic dissent from the status quo that inspired more collective movement and was more dangerous in the long run. Perhaps this is why its actual history has systemically been obscured to the point of thinking it reinforced ideas of nationalism and patriotism.
Both the FTP and FMP highlight the importance of archival information and access to that information in the digital space. It allows for the reexamination of historical narratives and a more honest accounting of the past.
Blog #8
Our visit to the Special Collections was enlightening. I really enjoyed flipping through the physical records of the primary sources we were shown. Looking through physical copies and objects is a different experience to viewing an online digital copy. Physical records practically force you to treat them with deliberate care, otherwise you risk damaging them. They force you to slow down and consume the information wholly. Too often when I search through sources online, my eyes will skip and skim down the page. But when I sit down with physical paper, I absorb much more information. Personally, I found it easier and much more enjoyable to go through physical records instead of digital ones.
The sources that my table examined was a group of documents related to the Federal Theater Project. The documents described different types of portable, low-cost theaters that people used in order to entertain people. Some theaters were as small as a shoebox, while others took place in a trailer. Entertainers would travel from one public space to another, and provide small, low-budget shows for audiences. During the Great Depression, many theaters closed down 7. It’s likely that this decline in official theater productions caused a rise in less official, portable ones.
For scholars, the archive is an extremely valuable resource. The archive has a wealth of primary sources that offer useful information for whatever topics they are researching. Both digital and physical archives are useful, but both have their unique disadvantages. Physical copies are time consuming to search through, and they take up space. Digital copies, on the other hand, are easier and faster to access. However, digital copies lack context, and context is valuable for understanding a source. Information does not exist in a vacuum. Context matters. The Library of Congress recreated the exact style and layout of Thomas Jefferson’s unusual library just to preserve the original context of his library 8.
Even the manner in which physical sources are arranged provides context. Digital copies of sources do not have the same level of context that physical ones do. However, they are very useful for the general public. While a scholar or researcher might be willing to travel to a specific library in order to wade through piles of paper in order to find the information and details they want, the average person might not. Digital sources lack the same context as physical sources, but typically that context is not necessary unless the person searching is a scholar.
However, not all sources can be easily digitized. At our visit to the Special Collections, there were a variety of sources that were available for us to look at. Most of them were physical paper copies of letters, notes, and diagrams. Those sources can be digitized with relative ease, but there were sources that would be difficult to digitize. Most notably, on one of the other tables there was an old theater costume. This sort of source is best seen physically. The only ways to digitize a costume is through a series of pictures, or perhaps a video that shows the costume through multiple angles. Both ways are inferior to viewing the costume in person.
Digitized Sources
Digital sources offer convenience by being able to gather multiple sources at once in a matter of seconds. This current era allows us to gather sources from our phones or computers at an accessible rate from any location desired. However, primary sources offer authenticity by preserving a source in its natural, ‘almost’ original state. The majority of primary sources are kept in museums, libraries or historical sites. The effort to preserve items such as photographs, journals, diaries, and past historical objects has been a race against time. Overall, being able to gather primary digital sources is difficult because keywords and relevant searches prohibit authentic responses. Digital sources need to be extracted from libraries or archives to uphold the authentic experience.
While analyzing the conversation with Thomas Padilla and Elvia Arroyo-Ramirez in Bias, Perception, and Archival Praxis, Arroyo-Ramirez discusses the nature that goes into archiving primary sources and the effort to preserve them as well as digitize them. Arroyo also discusses the difficulties that come with archives in being unable to protect or include data without having proper resources. Arroyo states that “Acquisition of entire hard drives makes appraisal for donors a lot more difficult and places the responsibility of protecting sensitive or personal data on archivists, who, on the whole are not nearly paid enough; not equipped with the necessary tools and infrastructure; and do not have enough hours of the day to devote the labor necessary to peruse every file”. 9 This line indicates the amount of time and effort it takes to archive sources and also examines why these sources are often difficult to gather or find by the internet.
In The Artifactual Elements of Born- Digital Records Part 2, Jefferson Bailey discusses the hardships that can go into emulating a primary source and recreating them without tainting their value. The recreation of Thomas Jeffersons Library contains “original cataloging system and also recreates the unique circular construction of his bookcases. Clearly, how Jefferson arranged his books and shelves adds meaning to the collection. The artifactuality of his library itself, not just its content, influences our interpretation and understanding of him as a historic figure.” 10 Bailey states that being able to recreate sources gives a new meaning to the source by gaining a new interpretation. Overall, both readings offer the pros and the cons of digitizing sources. Arroyo- Ramirez demonstrates the intensive labor that goes into archiving and how these sources can be selective based off of sponsors. Bailey discusses how emulating sources with the technology given may give new incite on our understanding of the source. Overall, digitizing sources and finding authentic sources online will continue to be a hardship unless an easier process can be obtained. Emulating sources may be a great alternative to gaining new understanding, however misinterpretation may occur because of technological advancements such as editing or altering specific pieces.
Blog 8
Archives such as the Special Collections Research Center offer scholars chances to engage with the materials and information that they focus on. It provides a place for those documents and unique pieces of history to be preserved and used for historical pieces later. Preserving these pieces of history and storing them so that they may be called upon again is why archives are extremely important. In an interview, archivist Elvia Arroyo-Ramirez stated that record creation, keeping, obstruction, or misrepresentation are all acts of identity and power. This is why she is proud to do the work of preserving the voices of the people who created those works of art. 11 Archivists preserve and record these works of art that often give voices to those who often go unheard. These special collections allow the public to hear from these people in unique and specific ways that most historical information doesn’t allow for.
Archivists must decide which materials to be digitized and this decision stems from the condition of the piece of work or art, ability to be scanned and uploaded, space for data to be stored, and importance of the work. After taking all these into consideration, they must decide if it is worth being digitized. Digitizing these works does allow for more accessibility as we are in a world that revolves around technology and being able to access information form anywhere, but there is something about experiencing works in person especially art that viewing on a screen just cant compare to. That digital information however, does allow for the voices of those artists to reach multitudes of people.
The Federal Theater Project had a deeper impact on the United States than I had originally thought. We can see from the introduction of Peter Grough’s book on the New Deal and Federal Theater Project that music was often the only thing some of these people knew and fostering that and giving a channel for them to grow that exposed them to new ideals and skill that changed their life. 12 The project gave many people jobs as music teachers as well as giving people music programs to participate in and uplift their lives. Many people cited the music projects in the west as the reasons for pulling themselves out of their slumps and giving them purpose. The true importance of the Federal Music Project was lost on me and these readings help me to realize that.
Blog Post 8
Two classes ago we met in Fenwick Library to visit Special Collections to explore the Federal Theater Project. I found the experience very interesting in the sense that it was different from my other “out of classroom” class sessions. I had never dealt with physical archives before and had little knowledge that George Mason University had archives, let alone that students were allowed to view them. I think the significance of the Special Collections archive for scholars is that it provides a more in depth look to further their research. These are records that are not openly available to the general public and need permission to view due to their fragility. According to Thomas Padilla’s Bias. Perception, and Archival Praxis, “Archival work requires an ethics of care for the deeply personal and the deeply political. […] Record creation, keeping, obstruction, or misrepresentation are all acts of identity and power”(2017). Padilla also notes that “there is a definite value to be gained from working across physical and digital legacies. The work helps us recognize our shortcomings”(2017).
Regarding the archivist’s decisions about which materials should be digitized or not, I think they make these decisions based off of how well they are able to physically preserve the archive. Susan Manus addresses this in her blog, The Artifactual Elements of Born-Digital Records, Part 1 by saying “ preserving the artifactual elements of a digital record introduces a unique set of intellectual and technical challenges” (2011). Padilla answers this subject in his article as well stating, “Of course privacy and volume are issues present in analog collections, but they are further problematized when we consider the digital deluge and the responsibility of determining permanent historical value. In analog archival collections donors and creators can physically comb through and filter materials they do not want to deposit in an archival repository due to the presence of sensitive or personal information. Acquisition of entire hard drives makes appraisal for donors a lot more difficult and places the responsibility of protecting sensitive or personal data on archivists, who, on the whole are not nearly paid enough; not equipped with the necessary tools and infrastructure; and do not have enough hours of the day to devote the labor necessary to peruse every file” (2017).
Visiting the Special Collections changed how I viewed the Federal Theater Project in the sense that I saw it on a more fragile scale. I always just considered it as some point in time that happened and passed, sort of like a start up company that never exactly took off. Having seen the records in front of me made me realize that it was much bigger and important than I had thought. Having the actual brochures in front of me and learning how they gave off different messages than intended and how political this project had gotten was interesting because when I thought of the project all I considered was the arts portion and never the messages.
Manus, S. (2011, November 28). The Artifactual Elements of Born-Digital Records, Part 1 | The Signal [Webpage]. Retrieved November 13, 2019, from //blogs.loc.gov/thesignal/2011/11/the-artifactual-elements-of-born-digital-records-part-1/
Padilla, T. (2017, September 13). Bias, Perception, and Archival Praxis [Text]. Retrieved November 13, 2019, from Dh+lib website: https://acrl.ala.org/dh/2017/09/13/archivalpraxis/
Archives and Special Collections
Archive is a way to remember and historicize records of people. It is also a way to secure and preserve our cultural heritage. Thanks to archive, scholars can access authentic records. Records can be any kind of artifacts, from pictures, 3D objects, newspapers, books and much more.
For the general public, it is a way to have access to their own culture or different cultures throughout the time. It is a great source of knowledge. Archivists are most of the time historians and can also accompany people in their research and bring useful information as well.
According to Brittney Falter, the choice of digitization can be tough. Documents can be almost identical, but present different annotations. 13 Should we in that case digitize all or just one? Brittney Falter explained that archivists have to work together to talk about those special cases and take a common decision.
When digitizing an object, how can we preserve the tactile characteristics of something intangible like digital information? In other words, how can archivists reproduce the virtues of artifacts when digitizing them? One way is to reproduce the structure of a library and its organization thanks to a software. One such emulation project is Emory University Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library’s recreation of Salman Rushdie’s computer.
Not all records are easy to digitize either. 3D objects, for example, require taking several pictures of them, but it is not quiet the same experience than in-person. We had the example during the meeting with Brittney Falter, of a doll with many threads.
How could we possibly reproduce this experience when taking a picture of it? This is why archivists have double responsibilities: the challenge of the digitization era and the preservation of artifacts of the past.
I was surprised by the importance of the Federal Theater Project in the 1930s and its impact on people. Indeed, it was more than a simple project. It was a multitude of projects with their own meanings.
For example, the idea of revisiting the classics like MacBeth with an all-black version “Voodoo Macbeth” was a revolutionary idea. It was a chance for African American to perform and tackle classics. 14
Within the FTP, there are five units including many companies. They represent a huge number of cultural events. It has been hard to grasp its existence until the meeting held by George Mason University archivist Brittney Falter.
Having the chance to have on hand an original scrapbook related to the FTP from the 1930s changed my understanding on the materials of the FTP.
I had on hand George Gershwin scrapbook which represents an overview of the FTP tour in the region of the West. It includes photographs and information from different units and companies. It was such a unique experience. The scrapbook is a big book with a beautiful cover. We can tell that it is old but the photographs inside are perfectly preserved.
Looking and touching 3D objects make the experience more real. While digital is a great tool for History, artifacts from Archives and Museums help to feel closer to the past and better imagine the life of former people.
Blog Post #8 The Archives
When we went a visited the Special Collections to examine different objects from the Federal Theater Project, I don’t think I’d ever really thought about how archives and collections acquire their things. Finding out that the archives are a bit beholden to what donors decide to send them made me slightly uncomfortable. It feels like they’re at the mercy of the donors, which really means that the public and scholars are at the mercy of the donors.
This is a problem because I feel it could lead to collections being biased in some way. Archives are extremely important, not only to scholars, but to the rest of the general public because they store large amounts of information, and sometimes even artifacts. In an ideal situation, archives wouldn’t have any problem acquiring pieces, but unfortunately they have to resort to donations most of the time.
The digitization of the archive is also very interesting. It was explained to us that there’s a hierarchy of digitization, so objects that are fragile, or that may be difficult to preserve are first. But what about documents that are already hard to read? I wanted to ask about this at the talk but the questions period was over so quickly. I was wondering this because our files had a memo in the front that the type was already fuzzy and a bit distorted. I wasn’t sure how well that would translate on a computer screen.
Speaking of which, I think that seeing the objects and papers from the Federal Theater Project made it easier to connect with. It was less of a hypothetical thing and a true reality. There’s also a lot of information that we don’t have access to online, and being able to see it and put your hands on it definitely makes it a much more interesting experience. I really admire the archivists for taking care of such important documents, and doing it so well. And learning about “portable theaters” was really cool too.
Sources:
Archive Reflection
In class this past week we explored interesting artifacts that George Mason has kept secure since the 1930s. In groups we were asked to examine notes written or typed in scripts from shows produced by the Federal Theatre Project. I found them extremely interesting because looking closely at handwritten notes by a director or member of the crew spoke volumes about the intentions of the production. For example, a group shared that their director took notes that the electricity stopped working during a production called Power. Another one shared the director made a notes that the actors needed to act more southern and another shared notes on how they were trying to get their production advertised but found some difficulties. All of these notes can make a reader understand the productions and society at the time better. Without saving these notes people would think all the plays went rather smoothly and the difficulties they faced wouldn’t be known. The information on the productions left by notes and kept safe is so important because it makes people understand the struggles the Federal Theatre Project faced.
The archive collection at Mason is huge and although I was unable to attend the seminar I have a friend who works there and I was able to hear a little bit about what they store there, and how they store the information.
I thought the reading and learning about digital archives was interesting because I always wondered how, why and to what purpose saving something digital could be as important as preserving something like a photograph. In The Artifactual Elements of Born-Digital Records, Part 1 author Susan Manus touched on the changing technology. Looking back technology has changed immensely and being about to keep “antiquated carriers can also serve distinct roles in digital preservation activities” which is something I never thought about.Being able to look back onto something from one of the first computers would open up a whole new idea to you then just reading about it.
In the interview between Thomas and Elvia, Elvia touches on her interest in archives and the topic of how people decide what is important enough to preserve. In the interview it touches on how Elvia grew up bilingual in America and so she can relate to artifacts about cultures and is able to distinguish the useful ones. Also Elevia states that there are “ Issues of representation and power are fundamentally rooted in archival work “ and because of this people challenge archival neutrality. People in the archive work need to remain neutral in order to preserve important information. Elevia says she tries to “have conversations across similar fields with a diversity of practitioners is key to understanding how our practices and end goals are alike and dissimilar”.
Manus,Susan. The Artifactual Elements of Born- Digital Records, Part 1. (November, 2011). Library of Congress.
Padilla, Thomas. Elvia, P. Bias, Perception and Archival Praxis. (September 2013). Data Praxis
