Raj's October 11 essay

This essay is about Glassberg's rosy outlook on History as a field. History as both an academic and public field need a re invigoration  History needs a new way to re-engage with future generations. One avenue  that History can take is technology. Technology benefits History incrementally in so many ways. For one, today's generation is tech savvy. Everyone of generation x/y knows how to take pictures from cell phones, text messages to one another, use social media like twitter and Facebook to communicate. History can capitalize on these technologies to reach out to this generation.The thing is certain historical organizations are capitalizing on new technology  The public history field is already doing this. Archival organizations and museums are starting to use the web to attract donors and audiences to see their various collections and artifacts.

  Mike Wallace talked about virtual museums as one way to attract new visitors to their buildings.According to Wallace, virtual museums present what he calls a mediated relationship between users and objects when the museum's collections is presented on the web in various formats. He uses the Dallas Museum of Art's available images provides potential visitors of what is available. He also adds digitized images benefit people who are wheelchair bound. Wallace also talked about electronic galleries. He cites the Smithsonian Institute's Engines of Change exhibition that brings machine tools in a working stage, putting static jobs into motion, as the Strong Museum which animates its Jacquard looms and automatic toys. Wallace is pretty much excited about what technology can bring. History back to the fore front in terms of academic and cultural importance. 
  Nina Gilden Seavey's essay in Public History echos Glassman's optimism that there is a growing enthusiasm for History. She like Wallace thinks that technology is driving this. She delves into film making as a tool for interpreting history. She credits new technologies like  CD-ROM and the web have made historical photographic and motion picture images a feature for all communications. Making documentaries will engage the audience because films for millions of people as Seavey puts it only get their introduction to history that they will have. Seavey also goes into detail of how interviews in the documentaries can give a special window to a historical event.