Upon entering the historic home, visitors are greeted by a souvenir section that obscures the view of the ticket window. Presumably, like the way it was when it was a merchant store. The existing displays are as if Betsy Ross is still staying at the home, as she did from 1773 to 1785 as claimed. There are a few interactive displays but most are kept behind a glass partition where it is hard to verify the authenticity of the artifacts. Two displays are fact or fiction placards that both state the same false myth about colonial heights.
The audio portion of the tour slowed down the tour to a painful crawl. The oral presentation allowed visitors to linger too long in each room when there was not enough space for visitors to congregate. If a visitor to the city wants to visit the home, they would best be served by skipping the audio portion of the tour. Overall, it is a nice piece of history even if we can not verify the accuracy of the claims.
It's interesting that you've focused on the presentation of the tour over content. Do you feel this has a profound effect on what is learnt and considered post-tour?
ReplyDeleteIn our seminar we looked at whether or not Betsy Ross was the maker of the first American flag, and if she even lived in this house. Although you have said we cannot verify claims, we questioned in our seminar whether this matters. Not all history is completely accurate, and sometimes this does not matter. Does it matter whether Betsy Ross lived in this house? Or is the story more important than fact in inspiring and bringing America together? Do you think people would take half as much notice of the museum if it was simply a display of the life of the seamstress, rather than the location of Betsy Ross' home?
Camilla, UEA Student, England
Because we went to the museum with the knowledge that Betsy Ross might not have already lived there, I considered how the tour was presented because I could not trust the content.
ReplyDeleteI do not think it matters if Besty lived there or not. She has become a symbol more than a person. Much like royalty, Besty stands for something more than a person.