Union Spy Pauline Cushman ('The Lost Museum')
Barnum’s American Museum was a museum that served as a learning center of nineteenth-century urban culture, and how politics, economy, and society shaped the antebellum era. It was however, unfortunately destroyed in a fire and consequently turned into a circus. Using a wide array of artifacts, wax figures, paintings, and other attractions, visitors were exposed to interesting historical events, data, facts and trivia. The ‘Lost Museum’ is a virtual simulation of Barnum’s American Museum and offers an a fun 3D interactive experience.
One interesting thing I learned in the tour was about Pauline Cushman, a female union spy who made headlines across New York in 1864. She became a heroine as accounts of her tales as spy for the Union Army, including how she got arrested and then later rescued, was publicized. As far as popular entertainment of the period was concerned, a lot of portraits of actors from the theatres of the era were displayed with details of their roles in certain plays.
The Lost Museum website is a great historical tool for history students but one of its biggest weaknesses is that the virtual museum is too small. A bigger display would have made it a more realistic experience and a guide around the museum categorizing the attractions would have made it more organized and convenient for users.
