(Source: octobones, via someinfinities-arebigger)

usnatarchives:

Margie was a very different kind of pin-up girl. She was not salacious, and her clothes were neatly buttoned up. She was a young wife on the homefront pining for soldier husband, and her serious and articulate “letters” that appeared alongside her image were about managing money. But she was a big hit with the young men fighting overseas during World War II.

“Margie” was created to encourage soldiers to manage their pay. Her letters informed soldiers about soldiers’ deposits, personal transfer accounts, Class E allotments of pay, War Bonds, and National Service Life insurance. The posters were distributed in posts, commands, and theaters of operation.

She was also a real person. Margie Stewart passed away this May at the age of 92. She was not a soldier, but she gave the men overseas a reason and a reminder to plan for a life with their sweethearts after the war ended.

These posters are part of the holdings of the National Archives and can be found in Record Group 44.

(via todaysdocument)

The Native American Room

What is the storyline/ main point of this room? 
“This interpretive display interprets a Timucuan village over 1200 years ago. Through dramatic lighting, animal sounds and the smell of palm fronds, students get a feel that they have returned to the past. The murals depict economic and various daily life activities of the Timucua. Students are encouraged to investigate the way of life of the Native Americans by examining artifacts, identifying flora and fauna of Florida and making tools. During growing season, this tour can include a trip to the Native American Garden.”  

Problems:
1. The 4th grade education standard requirements ask that students learn about the Seminole Native Americans and Seminole Wars in Florida. However, this room is about the Timucua Native Americans.  They also want students to learn different tribes, so if there is a way to compare the two tribes, it would be good.

2. Each exhibit should be designed for three different groups of public visitors:
- “Streakers”: visitors who rush through, look at maybe headlines/titles and big pieces
- “Strollers”: visitors who take slightly longer, stop to read some interpretation, may come back for more information in another visit.
-“Studiers”: Those who stop to read all information within the first visit; considered a small part of public visitors, though.
-The timeline that gives context about the history of Native Americans in Florida and how the European settlers affected the tribes is located on the wall outside the exhibit area, actually. Field trip groups are exposed to this before entering the room, but public visitors may not notice it before entering.
- The walls in the Native American room are completely covered with murals painted by local area artists in 1985. While it provides some clues for daily life activities in Native American villages, it does add some difficulty to labeling. Do we keep all the murals, only some?
-A small supply closet with central AC inside juts out in front of the entryway to the room. This is an awkward obstacle that provides unused space. There is no way to knock out and eliminate the closet in the immediate future, so how can this be worked into the traffic flow and exhibit itself?

Whiteboard 1: How the exhibit room is currently set up.
Whiteboard 2: How to address the obstacles without moving the large structures (see photos of exhibit.)
Whiteboard 3: Possible rearrangement of the main structures of the exhibit?
Whiteboard 4: Overall main questions and considerations for this exhibit.

What is your feedback? If you were visiting this exhibit, what would you think?