Lori Allen wrote:
> Then there is the documentation issue.  If we relied solely on written
> documentation, most of history would be deemed unimportant along with
> entire sections of the population.  In fact, I think this has been going
on
> for centuries.  What horrifies me is that you are furthering this
viewpoint
> to students.  It is the 21st. century, already. Obviously, no one should
> believe everything they see/hear.  But one should not dismiss everything
> that doesn't have written documentation, either.

OK, whoops. You 're getting personal here. I'm asking for evidence -
which can include images. I asked for measurements of beds - that's material
evidence. But someone, somewhere, has to leave a trace of evidence, which we
can get through archeology, surviving oral testimony, images, documents, or
other sources, all of which have to be examined critically for their
validity, their applicability, their bias.

If it horrifies you that a historian of material culture asks for evidence
rather than hearsay and legend, then you are not applying the kind of
rigorous standards that I think should be applied to all historical
questions. If there are legends and hearsay, examine them critically too.
Maybe there's a germ of truth that will lead to a better understanding,
maybe not.

I'm a Ph.D. in American History with a subspeciality in Material Culture
Studies. My dissertation, on textiles, involved artifact and image study. I
studied with Jane Nylander and Robert St. George, both
outstanding students and practitioners of the use of material evidence. I
worked with John Demos, one of the first historians to ask social historical
questions and answer them with reference to artifacts. I consult for
museums, and when I teach undergraduates, I use images, objects, and visits
to historic sites to teach. And I ask questions, and ask my students to ask
questions, and we think it through together. I include the study of
dispossessed groups and their experiences, often told through unwritten
sources, and I give them the respect of treating their stories with the same
critical attention I give all evidence.

As you can tell, I'm really insulted by your comments.

Carol Ely
Museum Consultant, Louisville

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