Developing Effective Museum Text: A Case Study from Caithness, Scotland- Heather Strachan, 2017

Abstract

“

When walking into museums, visitors already have expectations about what they will encounter inside. Whether they are there to see a specific object or exhibit everyone expects to confront an artifact and learn about it. What visitors might not think about is how they receive the information pertaining to these objects which can come from a docent, a guide, a label, or an online source. The written word is so relied upon by museums that a visitor will encounter text from the moment they enter a museum, throughout the visit, and until they leave. This means that everywhere they look there will be something to read from exhibit labels to restroom, and cafe signs.

Writing good museum text is more of an art form than an exact science due to the number of different writing styles available and the differing tastes of writers and readers. Even though the process is not exact, there are guidelines that can be followed to guide museum professionals and to give visitors the most out of their trip to a museum. By examining best practices laid out by the American Alliance of Museums and International Council of Museums and through good writing techniques from authors such as Beverly Serrell and Stephen Bitgood, this paper will lay some groundwork for what separates poor text from excellent text in a museum, as well as how to use these techniques to create cohesive online and onsite experience….”

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/museumstudies/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/museumstudies/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10869&context=theses

Voguing Gender: How American Vogue Represented and Constructed Women’s Roles from 1965-1974- Jenna Bossert, 2016

Abstract

“With the advent of inexpensive mass printing, specialized magazines, including those devoted to fashion, became commonplace. An example of such a magazine is Vogue, which has been in publication for 120 years and is produced today in 23 different countries and regions worldwide. Designed to disseminate high-end designer fashion, Vogue seeks to make these fashions, and the ideology embedded in them, accessible to a general public through the high quality styling in their fashion and editorial photography, and through their lifestyle articles. In this way fashion magazines are one of the cultural institutions that help women shape their definition of womanhood and the social roles appropriate to this definition. How has American Vogue represented and constructed women’s idealized roles and fashion through its photographs, advertisements, and articles? In this paper, I examine one issue per year of American Vogue between 1965-1974, alternating between March and September, accessed from the RIT Archive Collections and The Vogue Archive to analyze and interpret the representation and construction of women’s roles, as well as the portrayal of the Second Wave Feminist Movement…”

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/museumstudies/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/museumstudies/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10382&context=theses

Appraisal and Deaccession: A Case Study with the Mark Ellingson Collection- Heather Clarke, 2016

Abstract

“The job of an archive is to collect and preserve primary source material that is consistent with its mission and to make sure that it is accessible to the public. It is the work of the archivist to choose what is useful to collect and preserve. Archivists also have to consider the preservation needs of all items that make it into the collection. They also have to review the collection for items that do not conform to the mission and therefore must be deaccessioned. My thesis involves applying the best practices of appraisal and deaccession to the Mark Ellingson Collection, a collection of documents and objects owned by former RIT president Mark Ellingson, in the RIT Archives Collections. I will create and begin to apply a tool for use in the appraisal of the Mark Ellingson Collection that will start the compilation of a list of suggestions for the deaccession of items that do not fit in the collection. This tool will be used to identify which items in the collection belong in the archive and which should be deaccessioned, as many materials in the collection do not fall under the RIT Archive Collections’ mission.”

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/museumstudies/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses/9236/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10383&context=theses

Pinups and Pinball: The Sexualized Female Image in Pinball Artwork- Melissa A. Fanton, 2016

Abstract

“Since the commercialization of pinball in the 1930s, the pinball industry has used art and imagery to promote the pinball machine as a product and to generate and cultivate its audience. Much of that imagery has relied on sexualizing and stereotyping women to appeal to a presumed male player. In this thesis, I explore how the depiction of women on pinball machines has evolved from the 1930s to 1970s, with a specific focus on artwork from 1970 to 1979. This is followed by an examination of how second wave feminism, popular culture, and the introduction of film licensing may (or may not) have influenced artwork design and production. I will then present the findings of a quantitative analysis of stereotypes in pinball artwork from 1970-1979 and consider areas of further research. I examined sources from The Strong National Museum of Play (Rochester, NY), in particular the International Center for the History of Electronic Games (ICHEG) Collection and the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play. Combined, my analysis documents how the depiction of women has or has not changed in pinball artwork over time, and what it might mean today for a niche industry to depend on the visual sexualization of women for its commercial success.”

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/museumstudies/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses/9235/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10384&context=theses

Recovering Eleanor Roosevelt’s Voice: The Exhibition of Prospects of Mankind- Kellie S. Menzies, 2016

Abstract

“As she moved from being First Lady to diplomat to activist, Eleanor Roosevelt inspired citizens and nations to build a world governed by diplomacy, civic engagement, and democratic policy. Her example of peace building and human rights advocacy throughout her life is a model to be studied and applied not only in the United States but also around the world. To reach a broad audience, Roosevelt relied upon a wide range of media including the monthly television show, Prospects of Mankind. The series first aired on WGBH in October 1959, and was broadcast until 1961, a year before Roosevelt’s death. The television program was a forum for leaders and decision makers to discuss current events and international issues including human rights, post-World War II reconstruction, the Cold War, the spread of communism, refugee issues, and the Palestine-Israel conflict, among others. It also featured Roosevelt as mediator and host to “a rare assemblage of some of the most distinguished figures of the twentieth century.”1 Today, however, Prospects of Mankind has been largely forgotten despite its significance, just as Eleanor Roosevelt’s vision and influence have been eclipsed due to misconceptions and often overshadowed by her husband’s achievements.”

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/museumstudies/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses/9234/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10385&context=theses

Theses Reading Readers: Documenting Reader Response and Analyzing the Colored Illustrations found in the Cary Graphic Art Collection’s Copy of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili- Amanda Packard, 2016

Abstract:

“The Hypnerotomachia Poliphili was published in 1499 by Venetian printer, Aldus Manutius. The incunable1 is a distinct example of Renaissance printing; it is illustrated with 172 elaborate woodcuts including eleven full page illustrations and thirty-nine decorative capitals. The Cary Graphic Arts Collection located in The Wallace Center at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) holds a first edition of Aldus’ work. This copy possesses hand-coloring on eighty-four of the 172 woodcuts. I hypothesize that the coloring was done by a previous owner as a form of reader response. How does the reader response and color annotations communicate to other readers? To answer this question, I attempt to establish a provenance and document the reader response. Finally, I document the hand-colored illustrations in a spreadsheet, analyze, and interpret the pigment, selection of material that is colored, neatness and textual evidence to support the visual annotations. In conclusion, I give a complete contextual history to the printing of this copy of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili and gain a sense of the book’s journey from printing to the present.”

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/museumstudies/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses/9233/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10386&context=theses

Regulating the Violent Past: Methods in Dark Tourism- Jean Pietrowski, 2016

Abstract:

“What if you could stay in the very room where one of the most heinous crimes in American history had occurred? At the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast, you can, but how acceptable is this? How does one begin to experience darkness from a tourism site? Dark Tourism, which refers to “any site of death, grief, or suffering that is marketed as a site of heritage tourism,” gives people a place to experience these aspects of life and history. Places of death that are turned into places of touristic consumption give people a forum to discuss death and other tragedies. However, what methods are employed, dealing with such sites? In this thesis I set out to discuss the methods of Dark Tourism, evaluating three different types of Dark Tourism sites, represented by the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast, Alcatraz Penitentiary(now Alcatraz Island, NPS), and Sloss Furnaces National Landmark. I chose each site for its optimal representation of certain types of Dark Tourism attractions: historical house, prison, and industrial tourism. I asked the staff of each institution how they handle its violent past, how they interpret and market it to the public today, or if they choose to ignore it all together. The method I used to conduct this research was a phone interview with the staff of each institution. Each survey included two sections, one of questions that are consistent throughout, and another consisting of those customized to the individual institution…”

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/museumstudies/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses/9232/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10387&context=theses

Caring for Kodak's Colorama: Methodologies for Collections Care at George Eastman Museum- Mackenzie Robbins, 2016

Abstract:

“This thesis provides an example of the research, processes, and methodologies involved in making a collection accessible. As an intern at George Eastman Museum (GEM),1 located in Rochester, New York, during the fall of 2015 through the spring of 2016, I helped to rehouse, identify, contextualize, catalog, and create a collections guide for the Kodak Colorama Collection. Colorama was a unique large-scale photograph advertisement that Kodak described as “The World’s Largest Photograph.” The collection consists of negatives, transparencies, and prints of the original 565 images that Kodak, in the order of dissemination, displayed in New York’s Grand Central Terminal from 1950-1990. Through researching Colorama and documenting my work in drafting the collections guide, I assess the following question: why a collections guide is the best fit for the Colorama Collection, what is the process for producing a collections guide in the Department of Photography at the George Eastman Museum, and how does such a document serve the institution’s goal of making the Colorama Collection more accessible to the online and onsite audiences as well as the museum’s staff and researchers.”

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/museumstudies/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses/9250/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10403&context=theses

Accessibility Practices & The Inclusive Museum: Legal Compliance, Professional Standards, and the Social Responsibility of Museums- Ruth Erin Starr, 2016

Abstract:

“The desire of museums to improve accessibility for diverse visitors is often driven by the need to satisfy legal obligations. However, many museums share a fundamental goal to engage the most diverse audience as possible. This thesis illustrates the distinction between perceiving accessibility within cultural institutions as a legal or social issue and how that perception influences museum practice, within the United States. Bridging museum studies, disability theory, and advocacy practice this thesis works to answer the question: How does viewing accessibility as a social responsibility, rather than legal necessity influence an institution’s ability to be inclusive to diverse communities? This work investigates various interpretations of “accessibility” within the field, as well the implementation of access efforts by museums in the United States over the past thirty years. Additionally, this thesis discusses contemporary case studies of effective accessibility practice with the aim to support proactive access efforts in the future.”

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/museumstudies/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses/9231/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10388&context=theses

Interpreting African Americans in Baseball: A Case Study of the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Museum- Carly Washburn, 2016

Abstract

“Scholars are increasingly interested in how sports connect with history and cultures, and in how sports museums interpret this history. Baseball, often known as “America’s Pastime,” provides insight into American society, including the role of African Americans. This thesis surveys whether the Museum at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York challenges the traditional marginalization of African Americans in baseball. To undertake this project, I conducted research on the history of sports museums, marginalized groups, baseball, and the Negro Leagues. My observations in the Hall of Fame’s Museum include an examination of how African Americans in baseball are being interpreted, and of how much exhibit space is devoted to this interpretation. I also interviewed the Museum’s chief curator seeking his opinion on the representation of African Americans and whether the interpretation of this group at the museum has changed. Sports are an important part of cultures and society, and museums are expected to interpret these cultures inclusively.”

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/museumstudies/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses/9230/

Link to: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10389&context=theses