Themes in American History

When I explored “The Lost Museum”, I was surprised to find that even though this museum was a virtual space, from the digital 3-D technique, it likes a time machine, and bring you into 19^th century to experience the social life and the cultural history at the age. It was pity that the original museum was destroyed by fire in 1865, but from the website, we can learn something about the museum was the institution at the time, and it combined sensational entertainment, natural history in its menageries, taxidermy exhibits, paintings and so on. I surprised to find that there were some “unusual person” in the museum and it attracted people to visit the museum to satisfy their curiosities. As Barnum advertised the museum as the home of “millions of curiosities,” These unusual person like Nova Scotia Giantess-Anna Swan, who worked in the museum and she was more than seven feet tall and probably was the tallest woman at that time. The conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker from Siam, agreed to a six-week engagement at Barnum’s American Museum. The other especial person, Charles Sherwood Stratton was the four year old son of a Bridgeport, Connecticut, carpenter in 1842 when P.T. Barnum “discovered” him and transformed him into General Tom Thumb, an eleven-year old European marvel. Barnum trained the child to sing, dance, and imitate famous persons. Under the guidance of Barnum, Tom Thumb performed at the American Museum and toured the world as one of the best-known midgets. The special person’s performance became one of the attractive entertainments for people.

On the other hand, the museum not only tells us the entertainment but also the cultural history. For example the industrialization of Glassmaking, by the 1840s, glassmaking had shifted from a highly skilled craft to a more industrialized process. By the 1860s a “shop system,” involving gatherers, blowers, flatteners, and cutters had replaced the individual glass blowers common at the beginning of the century. Despite the growing industrialization of the work, glass workers maintained their skilled worker status and apprenticeship system through strong unionization. The three excerpts below describe the glassblowers’ skills and the industrialization process. The glassmaking reflected the technology and the science development. 

I think this website is interesting; it uses the 3-D technique to attract the visitors to explore the museum. But it also has its weaknesses, that there is not enough documents, and explanation for its exhibitions and the images for its paintings are too small that you will miss some artist history. But overall, the website is successful, not matter it is for education or for the entertainment.

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