Wednesday, 6 August 2014

The first 6 days...

Six days of my month of fun have already gone to the ether but they did not pass unnoticed. I've thoroughly enjoyed spending time in the sunshine with friends and discovering new places. Honestly, it already feels weird to have a complete evening in doors, but the bake off is unmissable.
Here is a wee synopsis of what I've done and seen with the odd pictogram to illustrate my adventures so far:
Day 1 - Walk from HMS Belfast to Borough market and then a low key dinner with Ruth and Tom

Day 2 - Munching on tofu hot dogs and watching Wall-E at Battersea Power station


 Day 3 - Discovering Victoria Park
 
 

Day 4 - Vintage cars at work (IWM), sushi in Green Park, brownie in Mayfair and lights out for the centenary.


Day 5 - Outdoor swimming in Brockwell lido

Day 6 - A day of baking with a flechette 'space carrot' cake and bake off!


Friday, 1 August 2014

A month full of fun - August in London

I've wondered and explored some of the many streets, cul de sacs and subways of London for nearly 2 years now and am wanting to celebrate and embrace this great metropolis with a month of fun.
I never desired to live in London; my Northern roots twisted in discomfort at the idea of being planted in the lofty and privileged soil of the South East and wasn't sure I could cope with the hustle, bustle and surly looks for more than a few days at a time. Moving down here alone relying on the kindness of distant and mutual friends to be able to find a home before starting a new job whilst being ill was nearly as daunting as moving to the U.S. knowing no one, without a cell phone and not much money in my back pocket. But it was because of the difficulties I faced that helped me see London in a completely different way.
London is filled with people. Most people march around with not much time for anyone else just set to get from a to b. But the majority of these people are warm, caring, giving, and ultimately fun when they and you pause for more than ten seconds. I've never lived in a place with such a diverse range of people and not just in the sense that so many nationalities and ethnicities mix together here, but there is a range of social classes and personalities too. Its a welcoming city and a lot friendlier than it would appear on the surface.
It is this side of London along with the mass array of things to do just minutes from your door (well usual an hour!) that has made me learn to love it. And so for the month of August I am going to try and have as much fun as possible by taking advantage of the sun and fun events this city puts on (health permitting). I'll document the stuff I manage to do throughout August on here for any one who is interested or wants some ideas of activities to do.
To an August full of adventures!
Here is the Peace Gardens by IWM and the new IWM atrium during the staff party which have marked the start of my Month of fun:

Saturday, 6 April 2013

Nadeah - 'C'est Royal' at the Elgar Room, The Royal Albert Hall

nadeah singing with tambourine Good storytellers are the ones that change their voices for the different characters, change the tone for the scary parts, the pace for the suspenseful crescendos and the heartbreaking cliffhangers. To go to a Nadeah gig is to be told a good story. You have the highs and lows of an adventure, the emotional trauma of heartbreak and deceit along with joy of new love and self discovery. You literally end up walking the streets with a bright green polar bear, drinking wine and eating poetry with three bears, feeling your relationship stumbling out of your hands and annoyance at yourself and those who don't accept you. Each song is performed with different ferocity, tone and charm, meaning you are not told the story, you are taken there. This is a talent few musicians, artists, or film makers have, but Nadeah does. She has the ability to make it feel like she is singing just to you - you are the only one in the room that understands that song and she knows it and you know it - like being  very publicly but secretly serenaded. Her words penetrate as if you know exactly what she means.
Nadeah singing- left arm moving up head tilted back and really belowing the lyrcis. Purple back light with half naked drummer in the background.I was fortunate enough to experience this again  when I saw Nadeah perform at the Royal Albert Hall, Elgar Room at the end of January. As always, she was backed by talented musicians and managed to enrapture the room with her catchy tunes, hypnotic moves and raw emotion. She played an ecliptic mix of rocky tunes, jazz numbers, and piano ballads. I relished hearing 'Ain't No Time' and 'I Met a Man' fresh from her lips along with some old favourites - particularly 'Scary Carol'. Nadeah interacted with the audience performing to every corner of the room. Her presence on stag is formidable, and clearly she has mastered the art of captivating her audience. It was a shame that a few members of the audience were rather reluctant to get up and join in, but I think the majority were won over. And lets not forget her voice was INCREDIBLE. It was smooth, rough, loud, quiet, sensual and mean. She has such power and gentility in her vocal and physical performance, that it is hard to understand why this artist is not performing on a bigger stage.
Nadeah told a great story that night, which hopefully converted many new fans to the extremely talented singer-songwriter. Below are some of the pictures I took that night; hopefully they captured some of the magic that was shared. I think you can tell from her facial expressions that she truly conveyed her story.



Nadeah clicking her fingers with a blue lit background

Nadeah signing Pinot Noir and Poetry with her hand out to the side demonstrating the size of the baby bear

Nadeah singing with a growly facial expression and her arm in a curve over her head

Nadeah singing and moving hair out of her eyes

Nadeah talking to the audience with her hand on her chest, with elbow up.

Nadeah singing and tapping tambourine


Nadeah singing with guitar and blue backlight



Nadeah singing with guitar in hands (not playing it) with her eyes closed set in a gold toned lightNadeah singing with guitar resting on her with guitar strap and arms above her head - she was waving them

Nadeah playing guitar in a rock pose, head up in blue backlightnadeah playing guitar in blue backlight - rock pose, head tilted back and hair moving back


Nadeah singing/barking inbetween her bassist (playing double base) and guitarist purple backlight


Nadeah singing (ooh) with bassist and guitarist with purple backlight


Saturday, 16 March 2013

Volunteering at IWM North



I wrote this for the 20th IWM Volunteer Newsletter published in December 2012. It tells my IWM story from being just a visitor, to a volunteer and then onto an employee. I hope you enjoy it!:


My IWM North story is an eclectic one. I started out, like most people, as a visitor. I visited the museum again and again exploring the main exhibition space and many of the fantastic special exhibitions – some of my favourites being Animals at War, War Correspondents, and the Horrible Histories’ Terrible Trenches. But it was when I was studying History at the University of Glasgow that my relationship with the museum developed into something more. I needed to conduct an oral history interview as a part of a course, and I had chosen to interview someone about food rationing during the Second World War. I’d had difficulty finding an interviewee but in the eleventh hour, IWM North salvaged my project and supplied me with the perfect interviewee, volunteer Norma. Norma delved into her childhood to supply me with what she could remember about life during the war and her experiences of rationing all the way into the 1950s. I could not have asked for a more enigmatic, interesting, or sincere person to interview. Whilst chatting to Norma post-interview, I asked about her volunteering at the museum and she painted such a magnificent picture of the experience that I left the interview and the museum quite envious of her role. Not long after, I decided to try out volunteering at my favourite museum for myself.
One Easter holiday I helped out in the learning studio and vowed that I’d volunteer more regularly in the future. So, in the summer of 2011, after completing my first year studying towards an MA in the U.S, I was back in Manchester and decided to fulfil that vow and volunteer once a week. It was one of the most positive experiences I have ever had! With the help of my mentors Linda and Cameron, I learned lots more about the museum and the objects on display and those we handled with visitors - I certainly learned more about WWII gas masks than most exhibits would reveal. I soon felt at ease within the museum even if it did take me several weeks to master Libeskind’s floor plan! I gained an insight into the museum I could not have got from solely visiting the museum or from reading books on museums; being able to interact with visitors allowed me to understand what messages and lessons they took from the museum, what they wanted out of it, and most importantly hear their varied experiences of war. It was not only interacting with visitors, but working and meeting the diverse array of volunteers that made the experience so insightful. To be working alongside veterans and fellow history enthusiasts meant that there was a warm and welcoming atmosphere at all times, and as we came from all walks of life we each added our own distinct personality to the museum. My experiences at the museum inspired me to find out more so I decided to take some museum studies and material culture modules when back studying for my History MA, and from there decided to pursue a career in the museum world.
When I was permanently back in the UK and looking for full-time work I reprised my role on the museum floor! This time round I volunteered more regularly, which meant I got better acquainted with the friendly and helpful staff, and was asked to sit on the First World War Centenary Meetings. This enabled me to get yet more access to the workings of IWM and get a better understanding about its future goals and objectives. After several months of job-hunting I managed to get some interviews and my volunteering was definitely an asset to my CV. At one interview the employer commented that it was refreshing to see me being proactive by volunteering and getting out there and doing something when the current employment situation meant it was hard to progress and easy to wallow. My motivation as a volunteer was always my love of history and IWM North, but the positive consequences of volunteering cannot be ignored. Just as the interviewer’s comment shows, employers appreciate and value individuals who volunteer. Volunteering shows that you are dedicated and passionate as well as eager and reliable. Without volunteering at IWM North, I doubt I would have landed my dream job as Collections Management Project Officer at IWM London in October this year.
And that was the end of my volunteering days, and the next stage of my relationship with IWM North; I’m now a colleague from London. It was a delight to volunteer at IWM North; I got to meet new people, learn new things, and strengthen my CV. The volunteer programme is well organised (thanks to Danielle Garcia) and available to anyone; to those who love history or want a taste of working in a museum, to those who just want to get out of the house and improve their job prospects, or veterans who want to share their experiences with interested visitors. It was an extremely beneficial experience for me, clearly shown by my getting a job in Collections Management, but also rewarding in another sense; I always felt that my ideas and contributions were valued by the museum and most importantly I helped visitors grasp how war shapes lives.  

Wednesday, 11 July 2012

BBC Breakfast

     
       On the morning of Wednesday 4th July 2012 I woke up at 5:20am in order to get a 'car' at 6:00am to be whisked off to the BBC Breakfast studios in the wonderful new Media City buildings in Salford Quays. The whole experience was surreal as I was home again by just after 7:30. By 8:00 when the kids were only just packing their bags for school, fellow jobseekers were snoozing softly, and commuters were just starting their engines, I felt like it was midday. Within 36 hours I went from being stuck next to an annoying man on a megabus from London to Manchester to being on national television. This is how and why it happened along with what the experience itself was like. I'm still hoping that the BBC will phone and offer me a researcher job for the next period drama, or work on the next series of Horrible Histories, or even be a news correspondent. However, as it is a week after my TV debut, I think that my chances are growing slim.
     
       It all happened very quickly - I would even say at lightening speed! Last Monday I ventured down to London to go and visit my very good friend Tricia Peone who was in the UK for a short time researching for her PhD. Tricia left the archives for the day to meander through Hyde Park, Green Park, St. Jame's Park and the Bucks Palace gift shop with me. I had a wonderful day, but doing the round trip on a bus was a bit tiresome. I didn't enjoy the 9 hours I spent crammed on a megabus, particularly as on the way back I was sat next to a persistent man. He meant well, but I clearly just wanted to read my book! Some people just don't get the hint. But when I finally arrived back at Tom's (the bf) I pjamaised, and quickly checked my facebook before bed. To my pleasant surprise a friend of a friend had messaged me.

       Thea (the friend of a friend) explained that she worked for a PR firm now and one of the clients they have is a graduate recruitment body (or something like that) and were realising data from a survey they took amongst graduate employers. BBC Breakfast had shown interest and wanted to interview a graduate looking for work on the programme. Having gotten in touch with our mutual friend, Hannah, they thought I would be good for the job and as I live only 20 minutes away from Media City also pretty conveniently located! So, I was shocked, excited, and wracked with nerves. I had to say yes, how could I refuse that?! But at first I was so so scared.

       The next morning, the excitement had overtaken the nerves and I was willing to throw myself fully into it. However, I received some very sad news which dampened the day and made it disappear. So after juggling numerous calls, before I knew it I was trying to grab some shut eye before my ridiculously early wake up. I got up, got dressed and then waited for my posh taxi, which although a little late was a beautiful car and a friendly driver. We arrived at the designated drop off point - Costa Coffee - and I walked and was greeted by a lovely friendly woman called Claire. A grumpy looking gentleman was also there who turned out to once have been in his own banking scandal - not a financial adviser like I asked... But it was all a flurry after that. Got to greenroom and grabbed some water - went to make-up for all of 5 minutes - went to outside the studio - got miked up - met the Producer (Yuan) and Presenter (Ben) and discussed what he would ask me - went into the studio (smaller than you'd think) and met the floor manager - sat down on a high bar stool (a good thing as the presenter is 6ft 6!) - and got introduced and blabbed for 3 minutes (see the above clip for the end result) - whisked out of my chair and the studio! I had a lovely chat afterwards with Ben, Yuan, and Claire, and the floor manager popped out to wish me luck. I was then escorted back to the greenroom so I could grab a juice and a croissant and then headed home in another lovely taxi.

       I genuinely don't think I have met lovelier people in my life. They were easy-going, fun, calm, and reassuring. It gave me a surge of confidence how lovely they were with me and how hospitable. I would love to work in an environment like that again, and hope that I may get the opportunity to in the future. Not only that, but I have also received kind words and enthusiasm from my friends and family. It was an all round amazing experience and a great ego boost! So thanks, Thea, Hannah, and BBC Breakfast for the experience and to everyone else for the love and support.
     

Thursday, 26 April 2012

Exhibition Critique: Maine Historical Society - Dressing Up, Standing Out, Fitting in: Adornment and Identity in Maine.


Between June 2011 and May 2012, the Maine Historical Society (MHS) is displaying an exhibition on how Mainers have dressed up for special occasions throughout the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century. Entitled ‘Dressing Up, Standing Out, Fitting In: Adornment and Identity in Maine,’ the exhibit documents how the people of Maine used clothes, trinkets, jewelry and accessories to show who they were and how they wanted to be perceived by others. The exhibit effectively shows how adornment has been a vital part of an individual’s identity over the past three centuries: it displayed a person’s socio-economic standing, their ability to follow societal norms, and their background. The exhibit inadvertently highlights a comparison to today’s society where we still dress up and adorn ourselves so that we both fit in to society whilst trying to still stand out. Overall, the exhibit through the use of several different types of artifacts on display, combined with informative text, conveys the importance of what a person wore and how it affected their lives and reflected their status.
            One of the strengths of the exhibit is that it does not assume that the visitor has any prior knowledge, yet it is never condescending. When the visitor enters the exhibition space they are greeted with a large central wall display, which houses the extraordinary miniature portrait broach of Portugal’s King Don Juan VI and introduces and explains the theme of the exhibition. The information board states what adornment meant and how it has been used historically, and still is, to show identity: adornment was a means to communicate status, to celebrate a special occasion and reinforce the way an individual wished to be seen. Within any era or community, attire would fall within a narrow range of styles and materials as people wanted to fit in with their community but still stand out. Therefore people followed fashion, by wearing certain styles, but used fabrics, jewelry, and accessories to differentiate themselves from their peers and stand out from the crowd. It is the narrow range of materials and styles that allow historians and curators to date and locate artifacts, as certain styles of dress were worn at certain times, much as architectural design can date houses. The visitor is instantly given the information they need in order to understand and enjoy the exhibit.
            The lighting is strategically positioned so that it is both atmospheric and functional. There is no direct natural light, making sure that the artifacts on display are not damaged, so instead directed artificial light is used. Each bulb is directed to illuminate a specific item the curators desire you to look at. Whether it is a Victorian boy’s velvet dress, a display case full of jewelry, or one of the information boards, the lighting leads you to where you are meant to be. Despite the well positioned lighting, there is not a clear flow or route to the exhibit. The artifacts and cabinets are not placed so that the information boards are clearly presented and the first thing a visitor engages with when they enter a new area. This means that often you are not aware you have entered into a new section. This meant that certain artifacts are not fully appreciated, as without reading the information boards it is hard to understand what each artifact is representing, its significance, and role within the exhibit. Had the MHS more space or an opportunity to rearrange the exhibit, I would recommend that they make each segment more clearly defined with the information board either as, or by, the focal point, or right where the visitor is expected to enter. This would mean the visitor would engage with the artifacts in the correct order and would therefore appreciate that section’s theme and understand the material culture in relation to that theme. This being said, the orientation of the exhibit did not severely detract from the caliber of the items on display and the main aim of the exhibit: to show how and why Mainers have dressed up.
            Both painted and photographed portraits were displayed within the exhibit. Portraits are a great source for examining how people of the past dressed up. Portraits were ways in which individuals could control how they were perceived and display their wealth and skills. Sitters would put on their best clothing and have the painter or photographer create an image which displayed them the way they wished to be perceived. Mary Merrill Thompson’s portrait, painted in 1850, was displayed in the exhibit. The austere looking woman dressed in mostly black clearly wished to appear in a certain way. Dressed in all black bar a pinkish red neckerchief, Thompson was obviously hoping to look pious and respectable. However, her black dress also draws out the vivid gold garments she was wearing: a gold broach attached to her neckerchief, a gold belt buckle, gold chains on her wrists, a gold ring and a gold pen. It is impossible to miss these many fine items of adornment. Thompson desired to show her wealth and strategically chose a black dress to contrast and highlight her fine accessories. It can also be surmised that the inclusion of a pen was also making a statement. The pen suggests that this woman was a keen writer, with both the intelligence and means to scribe letters and keep accounts so well she can afford lavish items such as gold pens. The props the sitter chose to be included in their portrait reveal a lot about their character and how they wished to be perceived. This idea was explored in Dane Morrison’s lecture on maritime life in Portsmouth and David Jaffee’s books on the material culture of Early America.
            Jaffee’s first chapter is on painters and patrons and how the sitters would choose what was included in their portrait. Jaffee uses the example of two generations of the same family and how the props in their portraits showed how each man wished to be seen. The difference between Reverend Ebenezer Devotion and his son Judge Ebenezer Devotion displayed a change in what the generations valued as well as the disparities in their personalities and professions. The elder Devotion, the Reverend, is surrounded by his vast collection of books whilst wearing somber black, whereas his son is dressed in finery and leaning on a desk writing in what appears to be an accounts book. It is clear that the father prized his intellect and wished to display himself as an enlightened individual. However, his son desired to display his wealth instead.[1] Dr. Morrison also explored the idea of how the props in a portrait helped create an image of the sitter in his analysis of the portrait of John Moffat. Morrison showed how the inclusion of a $1,000 bill and fine clothes helped Moffat look wealthy and intelligent. This combined with the light resting on his forehead and hand subtly suggested that this man was intelligent and as a consequence wealthy. Morrison explained how this portrait would be hanged in the Moffat residence in pride of position acting as both an advert for his wealth and for his business. The portrait inferred to his intelligence and ability to create wealth, showing that the portrait was a propaganda tool as much as anything else.[2] Jaffee and Morrison both displayed that portraits and the props found alongside the sitter themselves acted as means to display personality and status, reaffirming the analysis of the MHS. Individuals dressed up and adorned themselves with objects that conveyed the image they wanted to be associated with.
            A major issue with displaying costumes and attire is the lack of lower-class clothing that survives. Due to the fabric used in working class clothing combined with people’s tendency to preserve more expensive items, means that only a few items used by working class people of the eighteenth and nineteenth century survive, ironically making them more valuable. Astrida Schaeffer discussed this in her lecture about her work as a clothing historian. Schaeffer preserves original clothing, produces reproductions, and creates mannequins to display period clothing. Schaeffer discussed how she mainly preserves, mends, and creates mannequins for dresses of rich women or women of relative means due to the clothing of working-class people not surviving.[3] This is clearly reflected in the exhibition, but it is not directly addressed. Virtually all the clothes on display are from people of means, who could afford to go to social events such as the opera. As the theme of the exhibit is dressing up, some may think that working class people’s clothes would not be suited and therefore not expect to see them in the exhibit. However, working-class people would dress up for certain occasions, and would often save up during the nineteenth century to have their photograph taken. For this reason, it would be worth featuring, if at all possible, some working-class people’s clothing or at least include an information card suggesting that although they did not always have the means and had less opportunity to dress up, those of lower socio-economic status would also dress up for certain occasions. Another aspect of Schaeffer’s lecture which would have enhanced the exhibition was the idea that after the American Revolution Maine became one of the fashion “hotspots.” Due to its bordering British controlled Canada, Maine had access to the latest fashions before the rest of the United States and became a fashion center as a consequence.[4] This would have been an interesting snippet of information that directly relates to the content of the exhibit and could have helped the visitor understand the role of eighteenth century Maine to the world of American fashion. It would also help the visitor conceive that not only do styles change, but so do the fashion centers.
            Although the MHS does not directly address working-class people dressing up, they do document and inform visitors of an event which affected all regardless of their socio-economic background: weddings. The exhibit describes how both men and women dress up for their wedding day and if possible they would get new clothes for the occasion. The information board explains that no matter who you were it was an occasion where you dressed up. This can be seen through a laminated ring-binder of old wedding photographs under the information board about weddings [see image 1]. This album shows a combination of individual and couple portraits and group shots of different families’ weddings ranging from the nineteenth century to post World War Two from a range of backgrounds, including Asian immigrants. However, the main object on display for weddings is the wedding dress of Elaine Robinson Kitchell, resident of Peru, ME [see image 2]. Kitchell married on June 20th 1939 and took the design for her wedding dress from a pattern in Butternick Magazine [can just be seen in the far right of image 2]. Her mother Mabelle Robinson made the dress out of silk, organdy, and taffeta with a hoop in the dress to keep its shape. The display cabinet adjacent to the dress includes the bonnet of her grandmother and a photo of the occasion. The inclusion of so many personal items of Kitchell’s special day helps create a story. The survival of the dress and some supplementary items shows how important the occasion was for Kitchell. It was not only a time to dress up, but also a time to document and to treasure for years to come. The inclusion of several objects surrounding one woman’s “big day” helps tell a story and get the visitor personally involved.
            In the same cabinet as some of Kitchell’s memorabilia is a pair of eighteenth century shoes. The shoes belonged to Deborah Thaxter and are dated to be from c. 1772, and are identified to be her wedding shoes. These wonderful silk shoes are fabulously decorated with elaborate flowers all over the shoe. However, these shows are not associated with just Thaxter’s wedding but also her mothers. It was not that Thaxter and her mother both wore the shoes at their weddings, but the shoes were made from Thaxter’s mother’s wedding dress! As Kimberley Alexander explained when discussing her Georgian shoe project, it was common for women to ‘revamp’ their shoes by updating the paste buckle and the vamp.[5] Therefore, the fact that a prized possession such as a wedding dress was reused to create fine shoes would not have been unusual for the time: it was part of a culture where women made their clothes and reused fabrics from old dresses to do so. The inclusion of this personal story about these shoes draws the visitor into a world very different from their own.
            The exhibition effectively shows how men, women and children would dress up for special occasions. Although dressing up is most associated with women (enjoying and expected to present themselves at their best and on special occasions in all their finery) and children (dressing up in a plethora of costumes), the exhibition does not ignore that men too were accustomed to dressing up and the importance dressing up was to their status. Men would use fobs, hats and cravats as well as well-tailored fine fabrics on special occasions and to display their status. The exhibit showed that men also used uniforms, specifically military, uniforms as a way to stand apart and fit in to society. The dress uniform of A.P. Morgan of the Portland Rifle Corps from 1854 was displayed under the section fitting in [see image 3]. The exhibit states that uniforms are the most obvious symbols of membership – those that wear a uniform outwardly show their association with a certain group or profession. Military uniforms clearly showed an individual’s status, as all military uniforms clearly display the soldier’s ranking. The information board discusses Morgan’s role in the army and highlights that a soldier would have two different uniforms: the dress uniform and that worn in battle. The two could easily be distinguished, as the dress uniform would be more flamboyant with gold buttons just like those on Morgan’s uniform, whereas the uniform worn for duty would be plainer and more practical. This is a great example of how men would wear different clothes for different occasions, just as women would. Instead of wearing a better made dress and more elaborate jewelry, men in the armed forces would don a more embellished uniform which showed that they had dressed up to step out.
            By the end of the exhibit I became complacent and fed up of reading the information boards. Although there were numerous different objects on display, by the second half of the exhibit I could not take in any more information from the displays! This was in part my own fault as I did not use the audio information provided (you could call a number to gain information about certain objects), but I still feel that by the end of the exhibit the information had become a little repetitive and overbearing. There was no change in format in how the information was provided. There were two computer monitors in the exhibit, but they were not switched on and at the beginning of the exhibit. This seemed like a missed opportunity to me, as showing a slideshow or a video half way through the exhibit would have provided the visitor relief from reading whilst still engaging and informing them. Alongside this, there were no interactive areas or interactive technology for visitors to engage with. It would have been fantastic to have been able to touch different fabrics or have some replica hats to try on to add an element of fun to the exhibit. The ability to touch fabrics and try costumes on also helps visitors experience what it would have been like for a man in the nineteenth century army, or a woman on her wedding day in the 1930s, and these experiences bring history alive. History and learning are not achieved solely by reading but also by interacting and experiencing things first hand. Being able to touch different fabrics could have been an effective way to incorporate the difference between what the upper, middle, and lower classes wore. For example, they could have included three different materials used for wedding dresses in the nineteenth century, all white but of differing qualities, one for each socio-economic group so that visitors could experience how people’s dressing up differed according to their status within society.
            Even without much technology and ways to interact with objects and materials, the MHS’ exhibition is informative, fascinating, and accessible. It is quite literally accessible to all, as any wheelchair users or others with walking impairments could easily walk through the exhibit as it had wide thorough-ways, leveled flooring, and cabinets at height wheelchair users could easily see into. This combined with the interesting and comprehendible information boards, which include both readable text and small illustrations by John Martin, make the exhibit user-friendly. It supplies enough information for enthusiasts to get their teeth into and loose themselves in the personal stories of the different examples of material culture. Yet, the casual visitor could still easily grasp the meaning of the exhibit merely by walking through, glancing at information cards, and looking at the artifacts. Everything, from the color of the walls, to the number of display cases, and the variety of items on show, help convey that dressing up and adorning yourself was, and still is, vital to the human experience. It was a way for everybody to show their inclusion and identity within society. The exhibit displays examples of Native American and Asian immigrants dressing up and having their photographs taken showing that groups, who would have been considered outsiders, were to some extent accepted within Maine society due to their conforming to the practice of adorning themselves and dressing up.
            The MHS chose the miniature portrait broach of King Don Juan of Portugal to be the signature artifact to represent the exhibit. They could not have picked a better choice. The broach was a gift to distinguished soldier Henry Dearborn from the Portuguese King in the nineteenth century. The broach embodies the exhibition perfectly: it in itself is an item of adornment but is also an example of a portrait of someone who is dressed up. The broach could be worn around the neck as a pendant and as the diamonds which surround the portrait show, it was clearly an item to be flaunted and admired. As the artifact is also a miniature portrait, it is an example of how people dressed up to have themselves immortalized in a way they wished to be remembered. The broach epitomizes the idea that adornment was a way in which Mainers showed their personality and status, as well as whom they wanted to be and how they wanted to be seen: what the exhibition is all about. The MHS successfully illustrated how material culture in general, but particularly items of adornment and clothing, can help those of the twenty-first century understand the lives of those of who lived in the past. It shares the stories and the hopes of those from the past by giving visitors access to their portraits, photos, jewelry, keepsakes and clothing. Overall, the exhibit successfully uses material culture to display and inform the visitors of how important dressing up was to individuals in Maine.


[1] David Jaffe, A New Nation of Goods: The Material Culture of Early America, (Bethlehem: Elibron Classics, 2005), 1-7.
[2] Dane Morrison, ‘Maritime Portsmouth through the Collections of Strawberry Banke Museum and Moffat-Ladd House and Gardens,’ 03/28/12.
[3] Astrida Schaeffer, ‘Behind the Scenes of UNH Exhibition: Embellishments,’ 04/04/12.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Kimberley Alexander, ‘Shoes and Swords: Building a Case for Material Culture, One Object at a Time,’ 04/11/12.