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.