African-American Museum of Philadelphia

     This is a plaque of a printed copy of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which was part of the Compromise of 1850. It is part of the Audacious Freedom exhibit in the African-American Museum of Philadelphia. It is on display because it is vital to the history of not only African-American history, but also to Philadelphia and the history of the United States at large. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 made it so that slave catchers were allowed to travel into the northern states (such as Pennsylvania), which meant that escaped slaves could be caught, and shipped back down to the South to receive severe punishment from their masters, such as the lashes this slave received:

This act also meant that free blacks could be arrested and sent into slavery even if they were free, like Solomon Northup was. As a result of this, escaped slaves had to travel to Canada to be free, and they usually did this on the Underground Railroad. This plaque is displayed with as series of other plaques that are documents or faces of people as a collage behind a long reading rail. The surrounding plaques constitute two illustrations, one titled "Am I Not a Man and a Brother?" and the other one titled "Am I Not a Woman and a Sister?"; a headline of the Pennsylvania Freeman; and a paper by Frederick Douglas, all of which illustrate the militant abolitionism that was going on during this time period. The caption for this plaque does not present much information. It states what it is, who wrote the summary of the act at the bottom of the plaque, and a one sentence quote from Section 9 of the Fugitive Slave Law. However, while it does give minimal information, it is informative.

     To increase my understanding or exploration of this Act, I could read William Still's book about the Underground Railroad, research how this affected the territories such as Nebraska and Kansas, if anyone in the North was caught and thrown in jail due to helping escaped slaves, and researching the supporters of this Act and why. It is these supporters who could present to us a different point of view and would tell us why, economically, politically, socially, and/or personally they supported this bill. It is quite possible because many of them were slaveowners and this would make it easier for them to find their escaped slaves.

     The people who would not be interested in this object would be those people who are not interested in African-American, Philadelphia, and/or American history, especially the antebellum or abolitionist periods. To engage visitors with this object, I could give them either a copy, a section, a few quotes, or the gist of this Act, something that someone wrote who was against the Act, and something from someone who supported it. Then they could do a compare and contrast and figure out why each side came to the position that they had.

University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

     This is a picture of Roman Empire coin with the picture of Augustus on it. It is made of silver sometime between 24 and 20 BCE and is housed in the Rome Gallery of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. It is on display because this gallery showcases a small slice of everyday life in the Rome during the Roman Empire through its artifacts. It is displayed as part of a column of coins from the Roman Empire and it is almost in the middle of the gallery. The caption next to it is informative but sparingly so; it only states what it is made out of, who is on the coin and the years he lived, as well as what the inscription on the coin is. This Roman coin is important for people who are interested in the history of coins, or in the history of the Roman Empire or of the ancient world. The other objects that are nearby also contribute to our understanding of Rome during the time of the Roman Empire. One of the objects that are nearby is this mosaic:

This is possibly from the Baths of Caracalla. Another section of the gallery nearby was a small description of what family life was like for all classes in Rome during this time.

     To expand my field of study on this topic, I could research how much each coin was worth during the Roman Empire, the history of coins or the history of Roman coins, who made these coins and where, and if they were used in the same ways that we associate with coins in the present day. The people who would not be interested in this coin would be people who are not interested in learning about the Roman Empire or the ancient world, the history of Roman coins, or the history of coinage. An opposing point of view to this topic would be if someone stated that Egypt or Mesopotamia had coins or a form of currency that went farther back in time than the Roman Empire did. A way to engage the public with this coin would be to compare and contrast it to other Roman coins, to other coins from various parts around the world, from other points in history, or to coins in the present day.

Philadelphia History Museum

     This is Philly, the war dog that was part of Philadelphia's 315th Infantry Regiment in the First World War. Philly's responsibilities included warning American soldiers of incoming gas and military German attacks. After she died, the 315th gave her to the Philadelphia History Museum. She is on display in a small gallery in the Museum with many other objects that are from Philadelphia because she played a role in World War I and helped the soldiers from this city. She is important to the people of Philadelphia, and especially those who are or were in the 315th Infantry Regiment. She would not be important to people who live outside of Philadelphia, or at least those people who are not interested in World War I and/or American history.
     The text panel underneath is descriptive. It states who she was, what her role was in World War I, and a couple of sentences stating what happened to her after she came back from war. I could research more on this topic by learning the responsibilities or uses combat dogs have had or have preformed in wars over time, or comparing and contrasting their use between today and sometime long ago. These explorations could be used to engage visitors with Philly. In addition, they could see a photo of a combat dog from World War II or watch a short video of combat dog training in Afghanistan today.

American Swedish Historical Museum

     This is a picture of a map of Philadelphia drawn by Thomas Holme in 1687 in the American Swedish Historical Museum's New Sweden Gallery, and it originally came from the Library Congress' Geography and Map Division. The caption is titled "Detail from 'A map of the improved part of the Province of Pennsilvania in America: begun by Wil. Penn, Proprietary & Governour thereof anno 1681'" which is informative in the sense that it is descriptive but it does not give us the background behind it. It is the plaques below that give the background of the map and history of what happened to the New Sweden colony after it collapsed. This map is important not only for the Swedish community but also for Philadelphians, and Americans in general, especially people who are interested in American history. It is important for Americans and people who are interested in American history because it illustrates the layout of one of the earliest and most iconic cities in America almost at the time of its founding. It is also an important part to the Swedish community because it shows where Swedes were living in the surrounding area. The people who would not be interested in it would be people who do not have Swedish cultural heritage or who are not interested in American history.
     This map of Philadelphia and the surrounding area is on display because the New Sweden Gallery exhibit is about the rise and fall of the New Sweden community, and this map exhibits the layout of part of the New Sweden colony after it collapsed. One way I could explore this object is by doing more research into the founding of Pennsylvania and therefore, of Philadelphia, researching other maps of American cities from the same time period, or researching how colonial cartographers made these maps. In addition, the English people or possibly English historians would disagree with this assessment and would possibly claim that William Penn and the rest of the Quakers were benevolent to the Swedish. A way the public could engage with this map would be to try to find the neighborhoods of Philadelphia (except for the Center City neighborhoods) on the map, especially in the areas where farmland is noted.

Please Touch Museum

     This is a picture of the model in the Centennial Exhibition Fair area of the Please Touch Museum. It was built in 1889 and moved into the building that the Please Touch Museum is housed in (which originally was one of the buildings in 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition Fair. John Barr, who was a Philadelphia businessman and was on the Centennial Exhibition Fair Finance Committee commissioned it. It was made by students, architects, and engineers who created it out of marble, plaster, wood, metal, and isinglass. This model is now enclosed in a wood and glass case. It is on display because the Please Touch Museum is housed in one of the Centennial Exhibition Fair buildings and it wants to acknowledge the building's history.
     This model is interesting and model-makers and also important for historians, especially those who are interested in American and/or 19th century history, but not for anybody else. The point of view of the text is descriptive though it is in a language so that even children could understand it. There are no other objects that are nearby the model except for various activities for children to do that relate to the model itself. These activities include: viewing pictures through a stereoscope; can fill a plate each with breakfast, lunch, and dinner; learning what foods were new at the Fair by putting cut out pieces into the spaces provided; pictures of soda, soda fountains, and popcorn; a Centennial banner; objects from the Fair; seeing "History Through a Window" in which children can learn about a nine-year-old girl named Daisy who went to the Fair; a man selling his popcorn, root beer, ice cream, and ice cream sodas by shouting it; laminated ephemera from the Fair; an area where children can experience the Froebel System of Kindergarten; can see Lincoln Logs; and an area devoted to the train in which children can pretend to be behind the Information desk, play with Bruno blocks, shovel coal, pull the train bell, and hang up signs on the old-fashioned wooden Amtrak arrival and departure sign.
     An opposing point of view would be the view from people of color. How did they view the Fair in those days? In addition, that would be an field of study that I could explore, in addition to researching how the Fair impacted not only Philadelphia, but also the United States and the world. I could engage visitors with the model by having modern-day pictures of where the buildings were and asking visitors to try and figure out with the help of the model which building goes in which picture.

Wagner Free Institute of Science

     This is bituminous coal, which is one of the objects at the Wagner Free Institute of Science. At the Wagner Institute, this kind of coal is found in the fossil collection, and like many fossils, was created by Earth. For most people, such as people who are not interested in environmental science, bituminous coal would not be an important or interesting thing to look at, but it would be for environmental scientists, people who are interested in collecting rocks, or people who have read the book Rocket Boys and/or seen its accompanying film "October Sky." It is on display because it is a fossil and a part of earth. It was acquired by C. W. Johnson, who was the curator at the Wagner Institute around the turn of the twentieth century. There is not just one piece of coal displayed; there are quite a few in a small, shallow cardboard box and is at the end of a long case containing only fossils:  clams, snails, sea-lillies, squid, and lamp-shells.
     The point of view of the label is informative but spartanly descriptive. The text states:
                                                      Bituminous Coal
                                   Coal Measures                 Pennsylvania
                            Braeburn Sta. [Station], Westmoreland Co., PA
                                   C. W. Johnson                      8186

     There are many avenues of research that could be taken. One field of study could be why is coal considered a fossil? What is it made up of? Another field of research could be how coal changed cooking, home life, work, and in essence, everyday life in the Victorian era, when people transferred from using wood to using coal. In addition, people could examine how coal has changed lives in the twentieth and twenty-first century, first as something people would mine for as a living, and then, its forming the backdrop of company towns in the Appalachian mountains which inspired the book Rocket Boys and the film October Sky. An opposing point of view would be if someone did not believe in evolution and said that God created coal, not the Earth. To engage viewers with this object, I could have them use coal. One way to do this would be to have them sketch with it since coal is the basis of charcoal. Another way, would be to let people put coal in a old coal stove and light it up and give them a chance to see how stoves worked in the Victorian era and the early twentieth century.

American Philosophical Society

     This is a picture of Cornelius Varley's Patent Graphic Telescope (PGT), which he patented in 1811. It is made of brass with glass lenses inside and is part of the exhibit "Through the Looking Glass" at the American Philosophical Society (APS). It is part of this exhibit because  he used it to make exquisite drawings of places and plants. Having the opportunity to see the PGT is important to people who want to know more about Cornelius Varley or his work.
     The Franklin Institute loaned the PGT to the APS. As an important piece of the exhibit, it is situated in the front center in an enclosed glass circular case, surrounded by Varley's paintings at the outer edge of the exhibit. Surrounding the PGT in the enclosed case are informative descriptive texts, letters from Charles Varley, and other ephemera regarding the PGT. The exhibit makes it clear that not only was Varley an inventor and a painter, he was also a traveler, and he ran his own business.
     If I wanted to expand my field of study on the PGT, I could research who else used the PGT besides Varley, the history of the changes that Varley made to the PGT, its popularity (or lack of it) in the early nineteenth century, or what else it was used for besides drawings. People who are not interested in nature, Cornelius Varley, or early nineteenth century inventions would not be interested in this object. An opposing point of view could be that someone explains why the PGT is not important, specifically because drawings were made from the naked eye during the early nineteenth century and because it was superceeded by the camera about thirty years after Varley invented the PGT. One way to engage the public with the PGT would be to let them try to copy a picture while using it, as the APS lets visitors do, or to see which way of drawing is better for them - with the naked eye, the PGT, or taking a picture and then copying it from that.

Rosenbach Museum and Library

     In the exhibit, "In the Beginning," this is the Hamishah humshe Torah (the Five Books of the Torah (also known as the Five Books of Moses)) printed by Eliezer Toledano on vellum in 1491 in Italy. This Torah, which is important for Jews, was used for study. It was printed with vowels (the lines and dots below the letters), the Targum (Aramaic commentary which is on the outside edge of the pages), and Rashi (formally known as Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzhaki) commentary on the inside edge of the pages. (Unfortunately, the above picture does not show either of them.)
     It is part of the "In the Beginning" exhibit, because the Rosenbach family was Jewish and Dr. Abraham Rosenbach had an interest in early and early Hebrew printing. In addition, this Torah presents an excellent example of early Hebrew printing in Italy. In the exhibit, it is opened to Genesis 1:1 with it being its box binding, upright though tilted back. The descriptive text that accompanies it is informative as it states who printed it, when it was printed, exactly where it was printed, the materials of the Torah, and what to look for in the text. It is also a part of a section of early Hebrew printing which includes a book with psalms, a High Holiday prayerbook, and a manual for the Passover meal. In addition to this section on early Hebrew printing, the exhibit also includes some printing by or about Jews in the early United States and some of the Gratz family collection.
     To further my study on the Hamishah humshe Torah, I could research early and/or early Hebrew printing and the history of Jews in the late 1400s in Italy. The people who would not be interested in this object would be non-Jews or people who are not interested in early/early Hebrew printing. An opposing point of view to this Torah would be an explanation from a Christian printer in late 1400s stating why he would not print books in Hebrew. A way to engage visitors with this Torah would be to tell them what are one of God's names in Hebrew (and what it looks like in Hebrew) and ask them to find it on the pages that are open. Another way would be to ask people if they could figure out which section this Torah is opened to.

National Constitution Center

     This is the Scopes Trial biology textbook (made from paper) from 1914 in the We the People exhibition at the National Constitution Center. This books is an important part of United States history because it is at a time that America was changing after the First World War and people were challenging their rights. For the Scopes Trial, it challenged the First Amendment by stating that teachers have the right to teach what they want - even when the teacher is teaching evolution in a state that considers teaching the study of evolution illegal. This book is situated nearby the section on women's right to vote, which challenged the Fifteenth Amendment (which illustrated that voting cannot be denied based on race, color, or creed), stating that sex should be included, and if it is not, there should be another amendment to the U.S. Constitution saying that women have the right to vote.
     The caption of the Scopes Trial book is informative and presents the gist of the trial in one sentence. The placard behind the book presents the trial in more detail and is accompanied by a famous picture of the trial at the bottom.
     To understand the history of the Scopes trial, I could research why teachers did not teach evolution in the early 20th century, read the manuscript of the Scopes trial itself, or research how the teaching of evolution has evolved from the early 20th century until today. An opposing point of view to this book could be a teacher's explanation in the mid-1920s (at the time of the Scope trial) of why they do not teach evolution and whether if they even believe in it or not. To engage the public with this book, I could have them find an interesting topic that the book discusses, connect it to evolution, and then ask people if they think that topic would still be in that book or what would change in the textbook if they were not taught evolution.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

(I tried to post the picture but for some reason it will not let me. Instead, here is a link to it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Agnew_Clinic.)


     This oil on canvas painting is titled "The Agnew Clinic," and it was painted by Thomas Eakins in 1889. It is displayed in the Late 19th Century American Art collection because not only is it a painting from that era but it also gives us insight into what medicine was like many years ago. It is in a large room with quite a lot of 19th century American art (much of it is portraiture), some furniture, several objects, and two marble statues. The point of view of the label is informative and presents background information on the painting and on the artist.
     In this painting, Dr. D. Hayes Agnew is standing on the left side in the forefront while two doctors and a nurse are crowded around a patient in an operating theater. The young men sitting in the stands are the medical students. This painting was commissioned by the medical students at University of Pennsylvania Medical School for their retiring Professor of Surgery, Dr. D. Hayes Agnew.
     To gain more understanding on this painting, I could research the clothing of the time period, the history of medicine, medical practices in the late 1800s, or how an operation was done during that time period. In addition, "The Agnew Clinic" also relates to pop culture. For example, in the Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery, the character Gilbert Blythe is in medical school during the time this painting was done, andthis scene would have been a familiar one to him. People who would not be interested in this painting would be those who are not interested in medicine, history, medical practices of the past, or are triggered by seeing an operation in a painting. A modern-day picture would be an interesting contrast as it would illustrate how medicine has changed over time viewers would be able to do a compare and contrast between "The Agnew Clinic" and the picture.