MHST 331 - LEC01

Topics in Collecting and Exhibiting

Fall 2008

Monday 13:00 - 15:50

ST 128

 

Instructor:	Dr. Heather Devine
Office Location:	Rm. 312, Social Sciences Bldg.
Office Phone:	(403) 220-3894
E-Mail:	hdevine@ucalgary.ca
Office Hours:	Mondays, 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m.; 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., or by appointment

Course Description

This course examines various issues surrounding the acquisition, care, study and display of different types of collections found in museums, archives, zoos, botanical gardens, nature preserves, and heritage sites (e.g. historic sites, architectural landmarks, cultural landscapes, etcetera) which fall under the ICOM definition of "museum".

Objectives of the Course

- to develop a familiarity with the different types of museums as defined by ICOM;

- to develop a knowledge and understanding of the unique ethical, conservation, and display issues associated with the different types of collections, (e.g. artifacts, live animal and plant specimens, etcetera) found in various museum environments.

Textbooks and Readings:

MHST 331 Book of Readings - available in the bookstore.

Assignments and Evaluation

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.

 

Case Study Presentations - Throughout the Term - 35%

Each student is required to deliver a thirty-minute presentation which will consist of an overview and critical analysis of a case study situation involving museum collections. A detailed list of case study topics (appropriate for specific lessons) is included in the Course Schedule. Case studies will be assigned to students during the first day of class.

These case studies focus on central controversies relating to the acquisition, care, display and deaccession/repatriation of living and/or non-living objects for museum display (Note: "museums" for the purpose of this assignment, are any facility, space, etc. which conforms to the ICOM definition of a museum). Each presenter will be responsible for reading summarizing, and presenting to the class the contents of articles, books, and/or websites related to the scheduled topic or theme of specific classes during the course of the term. Students are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to incorporate visual media (e.g. PowerPoint, video, overheads, etc.) into their presentations. After presenting to the class, the student is then required to hand in the written portion of the assignment (minimum 750, maximum 1000 words) to the instructor for marking, as well as a printout of any visual media (e.g. overheads, PowerPoint Presentations).

Your written submission should contain the following:

- an overview of the history of the object or collection under study (the Five "W"s);

- the central or principle museum collection controversy (as you see it) associated with your chosen topic;

- the arguments for and against each side of the controversy;

- the broader curatorial issues concerning the kind of object or collection you have chosen to focus upon.

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Journal - to be submitted for review and evaluation on two due dates: Monday, October 20 (worth 15%) and Friday December 5, 2008 (worth 15%) - 30% total.

Student attendance and active participation in class is essential for developing a knowledge and understanding of the museum collection issues upon which the course is based. It is also necessary to provide feedback and informal evaluation to fellow students presenting case studies. With this in mind, students will be required to maintain a journal for each class, where they evaluate the student presentations (an evaluation template will be provided) and provide additional commentary on the class. These comments may focus upon the content of the assigned readings, class discussion of student presentations, or other personal observations. The narrative (i.e. comments) portion of the journal should be a minimum of 15 pages long or 3000 words in length, typewritten, with dates for each lesson included. Completed evaluations for individual student presentations must be included over and above the narrative portion of the journal.

Final Examination - 35%

A final exam, consisting of essay questions related to museum collection issues, will be scheduled for MHST 331. The examination will be two hours in length.

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination: YES

Please note: If your class is held in the evening, the Registrar's Office will make every attempt to schedule the final exam during the evening; however, there is NO guarantee that the exam will NOT be scheduled during the day.

Policy for Late Assignments

ALL assignments will be docked five percentage points for each day after the deadline they are late, to a maximum of 5 days (or 25%), after which the assignment will not be accepted. If a student does not deliver an assignment due to illness or emergency, a doctor's certificate or other documentation is required.

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre. Visit the website for more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

(Revised, effective September 2008)

	Grading Scale
A+	96-100
A	90-95.99
A -	85-89.99
B+	80-84.99
B	75-79.99
B-	70-74.99
C+	65-69.99
C	60-64.99
C-	55-59.99
D+	53-54.99
D	50-52.99
F	0-49

 

 Where a grade on a particular assignment is expressed as a letter grade, it will normally be converted to a number using the midpoint of the scale.  That is, A- would be converted to 87.5 for calculation purposes.  F will be converted to zero.

 

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people's words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/su

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Ethics

Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines. Your instructor must review and approve of your research plans and supervise your research. For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see

The Faculty of Communication and Culture Research Ethics site: http://www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/ethics

or the University of Calgary Research Ethics site: http://www.ucalgary.ca/research/compliance/ethics/info/undergrad/

 

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

September 8 Introduction to Course

European World Views Prior to the Age of Discovery

 

The Enlightenment, Darwinism and the Birth of the Museum

 

Readings:

Moira T. McCaffrey, "Rononshonni - The Builder: David Ross McCord's Ethnographic Collection"

Douglas Cole. "Tricks of the Trade: Some Reflections on Anthropological Collecting"

 

September 15 The History of Collections: Zoos

Readings:

Eric Baratay and Elisabeth Hardouin-Fugier. "Ancient Trophies". In Zoo: A History of Zoological Gardens in the West (London: Reaktion Books, 2002), 17-28.

R. J. Hoage, Anne Roskell, and Jane Mansour. "Menageries and Zoos to 1900". In R.J. Hoage and William A. Deiss, ed. New Worlds, New Animals: From Menagerie to Zoological Park in the Nineteenth Century (Baltimore and London: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996), 8-18.

Eric Baratay and Elisabeth Hardouin-Fugier. "The Aristocracy's New-Found Curiosity". In Zoo: A History of Zoological Gardens in the West (London: Reaktion Books, 2002), 29-42.

Collection Issues: Zoos

Case Study: The Saga of Boo the Grizzly

Case Study: Animal Deaths at the National Zoo, Washington, D.C.

Case Study: Luna the Orca

Film: "Animal Attractions: Amazing Tales from the San Diego Zoo"

 

September 22 The History of Collections: Botanical Gardens

Readings:

Stephen B. Brush. "Whose Knowledge, Whose Genes, Whose Rights?"

Film: "Nature Perfected: The Story of the Garden"

Botanical Collection Issue: Plant Collection for Commercial Gain

 

Case Study: Biopiracy Around the World: Some Examples

 

Film: "The Leech and the Earthworm"

 

September 29 The History of Archival Collections

 

Readings:

Oliver W. Holmes. "History and Theory of Archival Practice."

Time Magazine. "Hitler's Forged Diaries."

Archival Collection Issue: Provenance

Case Study: Famous Forgeries

October 6 Collecting Antiquities for Fun and Profit: The Issues

 

Readings:

John Martin. "All Legal and Ethical? Museums and the International Market in Fossils."

Ronald Bishop. "Dreams in the Line: A Day at the Antiques Roadshow."

Case Study: The Activities of Bob Hecht and Bruce McNall

Case Study: The Looting of Slack Farm

October 13 THANKSGIVING - Class is cancelled.

 

October 20 Repatriation

Readings:

International Council of Museums. "Appendix: ICOM Code of Professional Ethics".

Paul N. Perrot. "Museum Ethics and Collecting Principles"

Collection Issue: Repatriation of Native Heritage

Case Study: The Repatriation of the Scriver Collection by The Royal Alberta Museum

 

Case Study: NAGPRA: A Success or Failure?

 

Film: "The People Go On"

 

SUBMISSION OF JOURNALS - 15%

October 27 Exhibition Controversies

Case Study: The Smithsonian Institution: The Enola Gay

Case Study: The Canadian War Museum: The Allied Strategic Bombing Campaign

Case Study: The Royal Ontario Museum: Into the Heart of Africa

Case Study: Touring Exhibition: Body Worlds

Case Study: Touring Exhibition: The Dinner Party

November 3 Commemoration and Interpretation of Historical Landscapes

 

Case Study: Commemoration Issues: The World Trade

Center Site, New York City

Case Study: The Use of Archaeology and Oral History in Reinterpreting the Battle of the Little Big Horn

Case Study: The Fight to Preserve the Manassas National Battlefield

 

Case Study: The Fort Edmonton Cemetery

November 10 UNIVERSITY READING DAYS - Class is cancelled.

November 17 Heritage Preservation and Armed Conflict

Readings:

Sanja Zgonjanin. "The Prosecution of War Crimes for the Destruction of Libraries and Archives During Times of Armed Conflict."

Karl E. Meyer. "Who Owns the Spoils of War?"

Russell Ciochon and Jamie James. "The Glory That Was Angkor".

Film: "Robbing the Cradle of Civilization"

Case Study: The Bamiyan Buddhas

November 24 Issues Surrounding Urban Change and Cultural Heritage

Readings:

Jeffrey Brown. "A Tale of Two Visions: Harland Bartholomew, Robert Moses, and the Development of the American Freeway."

Kenneth E. Foote. "To Remember and Forget: Archives, Memory, and Culture".

Case Study: The Fort Edmonton Cemetery

 

Film: "New York" by Ken Burns

 

December 1 Issues Surrounding Urban Change and Cultural Heritage (con't)

Case Study: The Bulldozing of Africville - Halifax, NS.

Film: "New York" by Ken Burns (con't)

Submission of Journal on December 5 - 15%