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Knowing death: Images of war in Museum Exhibitions

Knowing death: Images of war in Museum Exhibitions. B. Trofanenko, PhD Associate Professor & Canada Research Chair Acadia University, Wolfville NS November 24 , 2012. “The Harvest of Death,” Timothy O’Sullivan, 1863 (Library of Congress, PR-065-793- 2).

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Knowing death: Images of war in Museum Exhibitions

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  1. Knowing death: Images of war in Museum Exhibitions B. Trofanenko, PhD Associate Professor & Canada Research Chair Acadia University, Wolfville NS November 24, 2012

  2. “The Harvest of Death,” Timothy O’Sullivan, 1863 (Library of Congress, PR-065-793-2). .

  3. “The Harvest of Death,” Timothy O’Sullivan,1863 (Library of Congress, PR-065-793-2). . Slowly, over the misty fields of Gettysburg--as all reluctant to expose their ghastly horrors to the light--came the sunless morn, after the retreat by [General Robert. E.] Lee's broken army. Through the shadowy vapors, it was, indeed, a "harvest of death" that was presented; hundreds and thousands of torn Union and rebel soldiers--although many of the former were already interred--strewed the now quiet fighting ground, soaked by the rain, which for two days had drenched the country with its fitful showers.  Alexander Gardner, Photographic Sketchbook of the War, 1866. -

  4. War, photographs & national iconography • Recurrent themes: • Sacrifice, horror, death, loss, hardship • Difference in context: • Photographs from past vs photographs from present • Historical distance: • Our sense of engagement & detachment • to the past involves more than understanding time

  5. Content – Cost of war (loss) Content – Purpose of war (militarism)

  6. Form – Conventional (easily understood and recognizable) Form – Unconventional (polyvocal and not easily understood)

  7. Questions to ask: (1) how have the dead have been displayed, both in modern times and the past? (2) the potential gains from such display; (3) who ‘owns’ the dead and who can presume to ‘speak’ for the dead? And (4) how does avoiding death deal with these aspects?

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