Notes on Historical Artifacts, Museums, and the Introductory Essay Assignment

Overview

• Instructor compares how we treat historical documents in museums/archives with how we encounter objects in thrift stores and antique shops.
• Key question: what is the difference between curated, preservation-focused history and everyday objects from the recent or not-so-distant past?
• Emphasizes material culture: paintings, lamps, books, and other everyday items can reveal momentary lives and broader cultural patterns.
• Thrift stores provide immediacy and proximity to the recent past; sometimes items from other decades appear, revealing different moments in time.
• A short clip from Antique Roadshow is used as an illustration: a man discovers empty cans on the ground, probably garbage from coal miners’ era; appraiser explains the potential historical value and appraised price, showing how context and provenance influence perceived value.
• Takeaway: you never know the value or significance of historical artifacts, which motivates the assignment to practice attributing historical significance.

Key Concepts

• Historical artifacts can be everyday objects, not only grand monuments or famous items.
• Value is context-dependent and not guaranteed by appearance alone; provenance, era, condition, and rarity influence appraisal.
• Difference between:
  • Museums/archives: curated, preservation-focused, interpretive contexts for long-term memory.
  • Thrift/antique venues: popular markets where items from the near past gain visibility and potential value.
• The practice of attributing historical significance is a skill: evaluating what a future historian might learn from today’s objects.
• The current moment as a potential artifact: what would you want a historian a century from now to discover about us?
• The assignment foregrounds learning and thought process over perfect formatting or conventional style.

The Clip Example: Antique Roadshow Can Collection

• Scenario: a collector finds several cans buried near a coal mine and speculates about their origin.
• Appraiser’s role: discusses possible provenance and values, concluding the cans could be worth $6 ext{ to } 800 ext{ USD}$ each.
• Significance: demonstrates how historical relevance and monetary value can diverge and still teach us about past labor, mining, and daily life.
• Lesson: artifacts can illuminate everyday life and industrial history, not just spectacular objects.

The Introductory Essay Assignment (Overview)

• Location: Canvas, Modules page; a short, low-stakes assignment to start thinking like a historian.
• Length: $200 ext{ to } 300$ words.
• Style: informal, blog-like; first-person narration.
• Two main tasks:
  1) Introduction: share your major, career aspirations, and what you hope to gain from this class.
  2) Object analysis: pick one object from our current moment and explain how it represents American culture today; connect to a broader question of historical significance.
• Guiding prompt: if a historian a hundred years from now found an artifact from today, what would you want it to be and why?
• Acceptable topics: books, films, music, technology, clothing, food, everyday items like water bottles, or objects like Stanley cups, utensils, traffic lights, shoes. The instructor suggests DoorDash as a potential example of how we feed ourselves today.
• The takeaway: this exercise helps practice attributing historical significance to present-day artifacts.

Assignment Details and Logistics

• Object choice: describe the object and explain why it matters; you may choose something as mundane as a common accessory if it clearly signals current culture.
• Scope: focus on one object only.
• Submission options on Canvas:
  • Text entry
  • Copy/paste from a document into the text entry
  • Upload a Word document or a PDF
• Due date: Saturday before 11:00 PM ($ext{Saturday before } 11 ext{ PM}$).
• Submissions are open and rubric is concise; emphasis on engagement and thought process rather than formatting.
• Instructor: Dr. Moritz (repeatedly referenced in the transcript).
• Class context: Friday class will provide additional questions and support.

What to Include in Part 1 (Self-Introduction)

• Your major and how it relates to historical study or the course themes.
• Your career aspirations and how the class might contribute to them.
• What you hope to gain from the course (skills, methods, perspectives).

What to Include in Part 2 (Artifact Choice and Justification)

• Describe the chosen object from the current moment with clear detail:
  • What it is, what it looks like, how it’s used in daily life.
  • Why it is representative of American culture today.
• Explain why this object is significant for future historians: what it reveals about values, technologies, social practices, economies, or daily life in today’s era.
• Connect to broader themes: consumption, digital life, labor, food systems, technology adoption, or cultural trends.
• Optional question to answer: if a historian 100 years from now were to stumble upon this artifact, what would you want them to learn about us from it?

Suggested Artifacts and Rationale (From Transcript)

• DoorDash app or service: as a reflection on how food and feeding practices have changed; indicates digital-enabled, on-demand consumption and its social implications.
• Everyday items like water bottles, Stanley cups, utensils, traffic lights, shoes: show everyday life, technology integration, design, and consumption patterns.
• Books, films, music, technology, clothing, food: a broad spectrum to illustrate cultural priorities and shifts.

How to Structure Your Essay (Outline Tips)

• Opening: brief self-introduction (name, major, goals).
• Object description: a vivid, concise depiction of the chosen item.
• Significance: argument about what the object reveals about American culture today.
• Historical lens: explain why this artifact would help future historians understand this moment.
• Conclusion: recap the object’s representativeness and your reasoning; reflect on the learning process.

Rubric and Class Expectations

• Emphasis on engagement and thinking processes over stylistic perfection.
• The rubric is short; focus on interpretation, clarity, and connection to historical significance.
• The assignment serves as a starting point to gauge students’ perspectives on history and material culture.

Connections to Broader Themes and Sources

• Historical significance as a practice: not just what happened, but what we learn about people, societies, and daily life through objects.
• Material culture as evidence: objects as traces of labor, economy, technology, daily routines, and social norms.
• Ethical considerations (implicit): ownership, provenance, representation, and the responsibilities of museums, collectors, and learners when engaging with artifacts.
• Real-world relevance: understanding how today’s objects shape future historical narratives and how to articulate that influence.

Quick Reference: Key Numbers and Dates (LaTeX)

• Assignment length: $200 ext{ to } 300$ words
• Value range in Antique Roadshow example: $6 ext{ to } 800 ext{ USD}$
• Deadline: $ext{Saturday before } 11 ext{ PM}$

Questions to Practice for the Exam

• What distinguishes museum/archival care from thrift-store findings in terms of interpretation and memory?
• How can an ordinary object become a useful historical artifact?
• What factors influence the monetary value of an artifact in the present day?
• How does today’s technology (e.g., DoorDash) illuminate changes in food systems and labor practices?
• What ethical questions arise around provenance, display, and ownership of everyday objects?

Final Notes for Students

• Start by selecting one contemporary object that you genuinely see as emblematic of today’s American culture.
• Focus on clear, specific arguments about why the object represents current society and what future historians could glean from it.
• Remember this is a practice in historical thinking: describe, interpret, connect to broader patterns, and reflect on significance.