History never tasted so good

HISTORY

Upon hearing this word, many people think:"rich old white men who drank too much," "politics," "war," "economics," and the tedious memorization of "important" dates. For awhile, I also believed that history was about being able to remember the details of important events and the people [mostly men] that made them happened. Then I started studying history at university and I realized that women [!] actually contributed to the past and so did "poor" people.

The study of history could be divided geographically and could focus on the social, political, or economical elements of that nation during a particular time.In undergrad I quickly became interested in British history, especially examining the lives of female monarchs. Recently I became interested in the history of fashion [in related news, I really want to go to New York to check out this exhibit]. Over the holiday break I found a new historical passion: FOOD.

I discovered this fascinating subject area while watching A Tudor Feast at Christmas, a show my dad PVRed knowing my love of all things Tudor [except the actual show The Tudors].

It was an entertaining and educational show. It followed around a team of British historians and archaeologists as they attempted to prepare a Christmas feast in a castle without electricity replicating the Tudor style. The scholars went boar hunting, fishing, kept the fires going, prepared an elaborate peacock dish, spent hours, even days, making pastries and breads, prepared countless meat dishes, arranged the dining hall, and served the guests.

The meal was prepared for a wealthy and prominent Tudor family, so the feast depicted would not be what a typical person of the time would have consumed. However, the three main hosts, acting as servants, made an effort to explain their role and point out any historical discrepancies in what they were doing. For example, some of the ingredients used in the pastries were too expensive to trust with a servant and in many cases, the responsibility of preparing certain dishes which utilized these prized ingredients fell to the lady of the household.

Unfortunately, the audience never got to hear how the food tasted. Personally, I've never feasted upon peacock and I wonder if it tastes like chicken...

Egypt is on a role...

Now, as outlined in a recent CBC article, Egypt is attempting to repatriate the bust of Nefertiti from Germany. Egyptian authorities are on a roll and museums with extensive Egyptian artefact collections must be shaking in their boots. I'll have to keep an eye on this situation... it could get very interesting.

Quick Update!

In the past few days I came across two articles that relate to topics I have recently discussed. To get another opinion or want to find out more click away!

- Someone else loves the Terra Cotta Warriors as much as I do!

- Repatriation in action!

Hey Rosetta Stone!

I think people underestimate the amount of controversy that can happen within the walls of a museum. Of course, with recent strikes at museums in Ottawa and Paris, the public is slowly become aware that museum communities are not cold, comatose, and static institutions but are willing to fight for themselves and the collections of which they are entrusted.

This is becoming especially apparent when looking at repatriation. I developed an interest in this subject after writing a paper about it for my Debates in Archaeology class. I mostly looked at the efforts of Natives Americans to reclaim the remains of their ancestors, which can be found in museums across the world.* Countries, states, provinces, and museums all have different policies regarding returning Native remains to their ancestors and it is a very controversial subject that has no easy solution. Much of the controversy surrounds trying to prove that the remains are genetically or culturally linked to the Tribe that is trying to secure their release.

Human remains are only part of the repatriation debate. I don't think many people realize that many artifacts found in the Western World's larger museums were essentially "stolen" from other countries during war, invasion, and smuggling. An excellent example of this is the famous Rosetta Stone. Since passing through several hands, including Napoleon, the Rosetta Stone can now be found at the British Museum, however, according to a recent article Egypt would like to see the famous stone back home. British museum professionals seem reluctant to part with the Rosetta Stone, claiming it will not receive the proper care and protection if it was to be put on display in Egypt.

However, the BBC states that Egyptians museum professionals are willing to negotiate and hopefully reach a compromise with their British counterparts. This is a fairly high profile case and will be closely watched by those governments who are also thinking about making a case for the repatriation of their country's national treasures. The Rosetta Stone could unwillingly set the standard for international repatriation.


And now... I present the inspiration for the title of this post, Hey Rosetta! is an awesome Canadian band... check them out!




*Colonialism plays an important role in the repatriation debate. Many of the artifacts under debate, especially the remains of Native Americans, found in museums in Britain, Canada, and the United States were taken during times of conflict, when a stronger power was trying to dominate the original inhabitants. An example of this in Canada would be when Natives were pushed onto reserves. Many of their burial sites were poorly excavated and the remains of their ancestors were shipped to museums across the world. The fact that most of these museums still have these remains serves as a reminder to the days of colonialism.

iPhones, Museums, and You

I remember a gr. 6 field trip to visit Casa Loma in Toronto. As part of the tour we were given listening devices that resembled a Walkman (or a portable audio cassette player) that guided us through the rooms, noting neat facts and pointing out special objects. I can't quite remember, but I strongly suspect it was not an overly enthusiastic commentary and probably wasn't made for the attention span of your average pre-teen. I quickly abandoned the audio guide and made my own way through the rooms, awed at their grandeur but ignorant of their importance.

I recently read an article that declared iPhones and "apps" the technology of choice for museums, like the Victoria and Albert Museum and art galleries, that are attempting to enhance the exhibit-viewing experience. Visitors can download apps that give tours, provide additional information and interactive 3-D images of various artifacts.

Besides being only available to iPhone owners and having to pay for the application, I think this is a fantastic idea. It allows people to interact with exhibits without having to physically touch the the artifact. An interactive map could ensure that you don't miss any aspects of the museum or gallery. It also cuts back on the use of paper, since many museums still give out maps, which at the end of the day can be found littered all over the museum.

It would be great if this app could help advertise related or upcoming exhibits. For example: if you indicated that you liked one particular artist or themed exhibit, the app could suggest other areas of the museum or institutions that relate to this interest.

People love technology and showing off their latest gadget. Bringing iPhones into museums gives people an excuse to show off their fancy phones, but most importantly, brings audio tours into the 21st century with cool graphics, hopefully capturing the attention and imagination of adults and 6th graders alike.

Being an avid reader, movie/TV watcher, and school-goer, I have learned about cool places and things found all over the world that one day I would like to see in person.

Up first is L'Anse aux Meadow in Newfoundland, Canada. I cannot exactly remember when my obsession with Vikings began, but after writing several essays for various archaeology and history classes, I began to appreciate these Norsemen for who they were- talented explorers, shipbuilders, and farmers [although I have to admit, they did pilage and were fairly ruthless when dealing with monks]. It would be an amazing opportunity to visit the earliest known European settlement site in North America, and to actually see the structures and artifacts I have written so much about.

In 2008 I went on a short trip to St. John's with my sister and father, but was disappointed to learn that this UNESCO World Heritage Site was at least 8 hours away by car. But I still intend to make it out there one day.

Next up, I really want to see Stonehenge. I know it's a very cliche and "touristy" thing to do, but, again, after learning about in British history and watching a fasinating documentary about the site, I still want to see this stone monstrosity.

Who doesn't want to see the The Great Pyramids of Giza? Or any pyramids for that matter. The last time I studied Ancient Egypt I think was in elementary school, but the images have stuck with me. I also have to admit, that my interest in Egyptian archaeology was renewed when I started reading Elizabeth Peter's books about Amelia Peabody, a British archaeologist who always manages to stumbled upon a mystery while digging in Egypt with her family.

But lucky for me, I just have to hop a train to Toronto to get a glimpse of Egypt. I can't wait to check out the King Tut exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

I have always wanted to see the Terracotta army in China since first year archaeology. I just cannot fathom how overwhelming this sight must be, with over 8,000 soldiers and not two of them looking the same. But lucky for me, since I cannot afford to travel to China, in 2011 The Musee des Beaux-Arts de Montreal will be featuring 14 soldiers from this amazing archaeological find.

Next my travels will take me to South America where I will visit Machu Picchu. I have always been interested in Inca architecture and I bet the view would be amazing.

Last, but certainly not least, I have always wanted to go to Easter Island to see the giant stone heads. I know close to nothing about them but have always thought they looked cool and it would be incredible to see so many in one place. And I admire their acting.

Historically fashionable

Through my job at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival Archives, I recently had the amazing opportunity to venture to Toronto and attend the opening show for LG Fashion Week, Beauty by L'Oreal. The first runway show of the evening celebrated L'Oreal's 100th anniversary and featured designs inspired by the style of each decade the beauty empire has been in business, beginning with 1910.

On the large screens at the top of the runway, a pictorial history of L'Oreal was shown by utilizing archival pictures and advertisements. It was interesting to see in quick succession, [and I mean quick! Those models can move!] a history of 20th century Western fashion. In my opinion as a historian who knows nothing about the history of fashion, it seems like the 20th century saw the greatest change in regards to what people, espcially women, wore. As women began to enter the work force, especially after WWII, they had less time to make clothes, but had the finances to purchase them from department stores and catalogues that springing up all over the country.

What I do know about the history of fashion is that it's cyclical. I learned in my grade 11 Fashion Class that evidence of this cycle can been seen by looking at silhouettes of women's skirts. They start with large, puffy skirts, then it turns into a bell shape, eventually slims down, and slowly, through the decades, volume increases again. A perfect example of this, as was illustrated in the fashion show, was going from the slim "flapper" look of the 1920's, to Dior's New Look, which brought back the fuller skirt in the 1950's.This principle can sometimes be useful in my current job when I'm trying to identify which time period a certain play takes place.

I am still, however, trying to find a historical precendent for the 1980's.

My favourite look of the evening was the one inspired by the 1940's. It was an A-line skirt, premeditating Dior's New Look, with a fitted blazer, perhaps a salut to the female military contribution in World War II.