Pre-twentieth-century history is dominated by the study of words on paper.
Yet much of this period is also richly documented by visual images.
Illustrations found in books, periodicals, prints and paintings can
provide students with a tremendous store of empirical data and a profound
emotional understanding of the past. This one-day conference will offer a
rich and varied examination of the field of visual culture and explore
practical applications for using images and maps with student populations
at all levels.
This conference is the first program sponsored by the Center for Historic
American
Visual Culture (CHAVIC) at the American Antiquarian Society (AAS).
CHAVIC
seeks to provide opportunities for educators to learn about American
visual culture and resources, to promote awareness of AAS collections, and
to stimulate research and intellectual inquiry into American visual
materials. This new center will accomplish these goals by offering
fellowships, exhibitions, workshops and seminars, conferences, and
improved access to AAS collections.
The New England
History Teachers
Association
(NEHTA) is the oldest
history teaching organization in the country having been founded in 1897.
Composed of educators and students at all levels it provides professional
development opportunities, publishes a biannual newsletter and The New
England Journal of History, and presents the Hicks-Kennedy, Kidger, and
Vera and Andrew J. Laska awards annually.
Louis P. Masur is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of American
Institutions and Values at Trinity College. A specialist in American
cultural history, he is the author or editor of six books, including
Rites
of Execution: Capital Punishment and the Transformation of American
Culture, 1776-1865; 1831: Year of Eclipse; and Autumn Glory:
Baseball's
First World Series. He also serves as editor of Reviews in American
History, a quarterly journal of essay-length reviews of works in
American
history and culture, and has written essays and reviews for the
Chronicle
of Higher Education, the New York Times, the Chicago
Tribune, and the
Washington Post Book World. His seminal essay "'Pictures Have Now
Become
a Necessity': The Use of Images in American History Textbooks" appeared in
the March 1998 issue of the Journal of American History.
Patricia Johnston is a professor of art at Salem State College. She
is the
author of Real Fantasies: Edward Steichen's Advertising Photography
and
editor of Seeing High & Low, Representing Social Conflict in American
Visual Culture. Additionally, her articles and reviews of photography
and
contemporary art have appeared in Afterimage; Art New England; Views,
Exposure, Technology and Culture, and others. She has just completed
a
National Endowment for the Humanities summer institute for teachers at
Salem State on the visual culture of colonial New England.
8:15 am |
Registration
|
9:00 am |
Plenary Address
"Images as History and the History of Images." Louis P. Masur,
William R. Kenan Jr., Professor of American Institutions and Values,
Trinity College
|
10:00 am |
Coffee break
|
10:15 am |
Concurrent Sessions
A. "The Look of Death: Printed Elegies in Early America." Robert A.
Gross, James L. and Shirley A. Draper Professor of Early American
History, University of Connecticut
B. "Abolitionists Spread Their Message: The Use of Images to End
Slavery" Liz Nelson, Editor of Curriculum Publications, Primary
Source
C. "Geo-graphicacy: Using Maps to Tell the Tale." Vernon A. Domingo,
Professor of Geography, Bridgewater State College and co-coordinator
of the Massachusetts Geographic Alliance
D. "Not All Prints Are Created Equal: A Primer on Print Making
Processes." Georgia Barnhill, Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Graphic
Arts, American Antiquarian Society
|
11:45 am |
Plenary Session
"Exploring Online Resources." James David Moran, Director of Outreach
and Georgia Barnhill, Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Graphic Arts,
American Antiquarian Society
|
12:30 pm |
Luncheon
|
1:00 pm |
Plenary Address
"Reading Early American Visual Culture: An Interdisciplinary Approach to
Teaching History, English, and Art." Patricia Johnston, Professor of Art
History, Salem State College
|
2:00 pm |
Concurrent Sessions
E. "Decoding American Paintings and an Introduction to the Worcester Art
Museum Website." Honee Hess, Director of Education, Worcester Art Museum
F. "Political Cartoons in the Age of Jackson." Jim Newton, Lincoln-Sudbury
Public Schools
G. "'Our Old Acquaintance Sambo': Depictions of African-Americans in
Northern Newspapers During the Civil War." Lucia Knoles, Professor of
Literature, Assumption College
H. "Not All Prints Are Created Equal: A Primer on Print Making Processes."
Georgia Barnhill, Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Graphic Arts, American
Antiquarian Society
|
3:30 pm |
Closing Remarks
"A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words: Visual Literacy in the
Classroom." James David Moran, Director of Outreach, American
Antiquarian Society
|
4:00 pm |
Reception
|
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The conference is open to all. The fee of $75 per person ($60 for members
of NEHTA) includes coffee, lunch and a reception at the end of the day.
To register, please print out, complete, and return the
registration form.
For more information, contact the conference
chair, James David Moran at jmoran[at]mwa.org. We hope you will join us!
Rooms at the Worcester Courtyard by Marriott are available at
the conference rate.
- Worcester Courtyard by Marriott, 72 Grove St., (508) 363-0300
- For more information, see
www.netha.net or www.americanantiquarian.org or contact the conference
chair, James David Moran at jmoran[at]mwa.org.
|
As seating is limited participants are encouraged to register early.
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