Dear Lisa One of my most vivid museum experiences was visiting Plimoth Plantation when I was a child. At the first (or second house now) on the right, we spoke to Mrs. Frances Cooke (Hester Mayhew) who was making jam tarts, with a circle below - a plop of jam - and a circle laid over the top with the center hole cut out. The dough was a darker color than I expected. Flies were in the air but they did not seem to disturb her. Later in a house across the street my mother got in a bit of a "debate" with one of the men about Christmas! About the same time we also went to OSV, so why do I not have such a vivid memory of being at Sturbridge? Both are world-class institutions. Both had a first-person interpretation at the time. The difference derives from something over which neither institution had any control - a personal connection with the place. I am related to Mrs. Frances Cooke and Thomas Rogers (who had died the first winter). I must have been about eight years old that summer. My family have long supported museums and historic preservation, and summers for me as a child consisted of another dusty library and another old house, so there are many museum visits which I could describe, but no particular MEMORY stands out like the specific experience of talking to Mrs. Frances Cooke whilst she was preparing tarts. I hope that this helps! Ware L.W.S. Petznick, Ph.D. McFaddin-Ward House Curator of Collections 725 Third St. Beaumont, TX 77701 [log in to unmask] www.mcfaddin-ward.org 409.832.1906 p 409.832.3483 f -----Original Message----- From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lisa Dillon Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 7:56 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: History Museums and Memory Hello all, I am doing research on the topic of museums and memory as part of my master's degree in Museum Studies. I am particularly interested in the role of personal and collective memory in history museums across the globe. How can objects, exhibitions, and programs inspire memory, imagination, feeling, and a sense of identity in museum visitors? I would greatly appreciate any information on personal experiences with exhibits or programs related to this issue. As well, if you can think of any relevant literature on this topic or other people interested in museums and memory, please let me know. Thank you very much for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you. Lisa Dillon Candidate for Master's Degree in Museum Studies University of Toronto ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).