History is around us all and for most of us history is just a museum away. However a misrepresentation of artifacts in museum can negatively impact generations to come. The history of a civilization whether it be past or present society can learn from. It is important that these artifacts are portrayed in a manner of respect with integrity. Correctly displayed artifacts from past cultures can have a profound impact on the way one views a civilization. Some people have correctly figured out how to display these objects; others have struggled to find a credible way to show the past. In 1964 and 1965 the World's Fair in New York City is a perfect example of the misrepresentation of culture, of a race, of a people. The fair was supposed to …show more content…
People in today's society cannot derive anything if artifacts are kept away from the public eye. The culture can easily be lost, misconstrued, as it can be seen in pre-columbian Caribbean by Fernández de Oviedo y Valdez. He describes the natives Zemi figures as "an abominable figure, executed in many different ways and from different materials, deformed and frightening with ferocious fangs and teeth and disproportionate ears and burning eyes of a dragon that provoked much fear and admiration" (Samson et al. 2010). However the Spaniard was wrong. "Studies of facial expression in human and non-human primates have shown that the bared-teeth expression is used in social contexts as an unambiguous signal of non-aggression, affiliation, and benign intent" (Samson et al. 2010). If museums and artifacts are lost society can step back four centuries in progress. Future generations can see native artifacts like Zemis or the Seated woman at display in the Kimbell (Seated Woman). Despite her Bare-Teeth showing the museum is under the impression this artifact is just a simple portrait and not a threatening or aggressive face. Without proper guidance of global human history the world may fall back into it judgmental perceptions like
With white Brazilians willing to pay for the most expensive costumes and taking up more roles in the parade, blacks, who were more financially limited, were left with the dancing roles on the ground surrounding the floats. Guillermoprieto creates an image of the role of whites in the Carnival parade: “floating above the masses are the stars—white women and men, by and large, theoretically the most prestigious figures in the parade. Whether they are representing Princess Isabel or the god Xangô they hardly move or act; they glitter, virtually immobilized by the weight and volume of bulky costumes from which only faces and hands protrude” (Guillermoprieto, 181). This claim over the more coveted roles in the parade demonstrate a continued subordination of black expression and
...the people of the US a glimpse of alien cultures that many of them had never heard of, much less seen and learned about. In a way, the fair was a cultural awakening for most of the people of the United States. Suddenly, people from Missouri could tell their friends and families that they had seen Camels, or men from Japan. 27 million people went to see the fair, the vast majority of them Americans. That was a little less than half of the population of the country at this time. That many people seeing cultures and people that many had never heard of would have caused a dramatic effect, transforming the people of this country into a more cultured, worldly people.
The World’s Fair of 1893 was set to commemorate the 400th year anniversary of Columbus’ voyage to America. When the top leaders in the US heard about the opportunity of hosting the fair, they quickly showed their interest. The main cities that showed interest were New York,...
Erik Larson’s book Devil in the White City is full of magic and madness that has shaped the society of the late 19th century that is specific to in Chicago. The issues that have been handled through this time frame that are addressed in this book is that how Chicago was known to be the black city at first, and how the city hoped that hosting the World’s fair would increase their reputation. Secondly, the magic of a man named Daniel Burnham that did put the plans of the world fair in Chicago into life and the obstacles that he had overcame. Next, once the world fair was complete, it has made Chicago “The White city,” by its dazzling designs and attractions that made it memorable. Then, the madness of H.H. Holmes and how his evil deeds has seemed to undermine the world fair and the things that are going on within it with his murders and treachery that does grip Chicago once his evil deeds have been found out. Finally, the events that happened in the world fair that relate to the issues that occur in the late ninetieth century within the United States. The city of Chicago was in a desolate condition before it hosted the World Fair.
The Tampa Museum of Art was not always the same museum that we see today. It went through multiple stages throughout the years. The works vary, creating a large spectrum from the old to the new. The social angles change with the exhibits in the museum, combining to create the diversity we see today. Visiting this museum in person helped me to appreciate it even more than I would have thought possible. Observing and analyzing the other visitors helped me to understand the museum’s impact on the community more than I would have been able to just by reading about it. This museum is much different from others than I have visited.
What is an artifact? According to the dictionary, an artifact is “something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, especially an object of archaeological interest” ("The Definition of Artifact"). In archaeology, the word “artifact” defines an object recovered by archaeological attempt, which might have a cultural attention. In the same way, the article “The Life of An Artifact” written by Michael Shanks mainly discusses some of the key points of interpretive archaeology and the relations between social sciences and material culture. The author believes that material culture plays an active role in society, and that the society is built upon the presence of artifacts. He emphasizes that “artifacts
Duncan’s (1991) analysis of western museums is defined through the theme of “durable objects” as a criterion to judge the heritage of American and European art as a ritual of the modern state. In this manner western art museums are built like “temples” as a symbolic and figurative representation of greatness of western culture throughout the world: “[They] are more like the traditional ceremonial monuments that museum buildings often emulate—classical temples” (Duncan 90). This interpretation of American/European museums defines a dominant source of cultural heritage that ritualizes
For years on end, countries have been fighting with big museums from other countries for ancient artifacts that belong to the original countries. The argument of whether or not the museums should be able to keep them still remains. It is the right of the country to have their own artifacts. It is imperative for countries to be able showcase their historical artifacts, therefor museums should return them to their rightful owners.
I have selected one of the artifacts to talk about, the pet rock. I know that this artifact may seem silly or not even considered valued or an artifact to some, but it is. Gary Dahl had a sense of humor when creating this artifact. Yes, he may have just been an advertising executive to some, but in the 1970s he invented the Pet Rock. His invention is funny, brings joy and smiles to others, and is art. It has a purpose of being a pet, but also more than that. It can bring joy, happiness, humor, comfort, and much more to a person. That is why some may make fun of this artifact or Gary Dahl, but this invention was made with a sense of humor and sharing that with others in the world. Not only has the pet rock made Gary rich, but this artifact has
Imagine that one piece of history that is taken from a town. This piece of history tells l people how this town was built and all the important people that were apart of the community. “Returning Antiquities to Their Countries of Origin” by Joyce Mortimer can many people about how objects are getting taken from Museums. They should be returned immediately. There are so many artifacts out there that could be so important to people, and if someone can just imagine what it would feel to have one of the most important object taken from a museum and to be never returned again. Many people enjoy seeing these objects so why are they being taken?
Finding out about antiques, relics, and customs through narrating has formed who I am. These three things have inhabited of all societies to realize who they are. Family customs demonstrate how individuals experience their lives and cooperate with others. They additionally indicate how individuals respond when a relative weds into a group of an alternate ethnic foundation. Relics are great cases of material things that can instruct about one 's family history. Antiquities show who individuals are. This is valid for every single ethnic foundation.
As a matter of fact, objects can act as witnesses and bear testimony in the sense that testify to the time and place whence they came. They belong to a different world, and thank to their authentic presence we can come closer to that distant, vanished world through them (Hansen-Glucklich 120). Thus, the authentic artifacts play a crucial role in museum exhibits because they can be presented as a witness for the atrocity of their victims. equally importantly, the framing of the authentic artifacts, the display of photographic images, and the commission of the original artworks in Holocaust museums and exhibits do not simply illustrate the story being told; rather, they are story, and they largely determine how we remember the past and, therefore, how we understand the present”
The literature found on the subjects of archaeology, popular culture, and museums serves to supplement the data collected by the author through a series of three surveys, as outlined in the methodology presented in chapter three. These surveys, whose analyses can be read in chapter four, were conducted at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and nationally through the online platform Google Sheets. These surveys sought to uncover what kinds of misconceptions museum educators are aware of that are held by the participants of these archaeological programs. Copies of these surveys can be found in the appendix. The backgrounds and resources available to these museum educators further illustrated the kind of archaeological
A cultural artifact is something that does not come from nature, it is something that is invented or made and helps tell us about the way the world is. Cultural artifacts can be seen as a good and bad thing; depending on your generation or how you look at how the artifact being used. Cultural artifacts have changed the way the world is and the way the world works. For this paper, the cultural artifact the cell phone has changed the way we communicate and do business. Everything we need is just a few clicks away.
In “Whose Culture Is It, Anyway? ”, Kwame Anthony Appiah begins by pointing out that some of the museums of the world, particularly in the West, have large collections of artefacts and objects which were robbed from developing and poor countries. He then raises a question: who owns these cultural patrimony and properties? Our first answer may be that since they make up the cultural heritage of a people, they belong to the people and culture from whom they were taken. Appiah has doubt about this and argues that if some cultural artefacts are potentially valuable to all human beings, they should belong to all of humanity. He thinks that when they make contribution to world culture, they should be protected by being made available to those who would benefit from experiencing them and put into trusteeship of humanity.