Dr. Pethel's Public History Winterim Class

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Dr. Pethel's Public History class ventured to the Tennessee State Library and Archives, also known as TSLA. They learned about the science behind historic conservation at TSLA's Conservation Lab. Conservation attempts to clean, repair, and preserve documents, blueprints, and photographs. It is different from restoration, which attempts to restore an artifact or document to its original condition or appearance. Conservator Stewart Southard showed the girls how he cleans documents, uses magnesium bicarbonate to flatten and relax the acidity of documents, and applies Japanese tissue paper and wheat paste instead of tape. Below check out a document from 1807 and part of Mr. Southard's photo collection. Glass plate positives preceded negatives which is why you have to put it on black backing to see the image. Early paper photos were cheaper, allowing people to have a little more fun in their pictures. As such, the first "funny" photos emerged -- some things never change!

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Belmont Mansion and Belmont University Special Collections

Wednesday our Public History class ventured to Belmont Mansion to see the "behind the scenes" of a house museum. Much of the mansion has been restored to look as it did when it was first built and decorated by Adelicia Acklen in the 1850s and 1860s. The estate and home was later purchased by Ida Hood and Susan Heron who opened Belmont College for Young Ladies in 1890. The original Belmont later merged with Ward's Seminary (originally located downtown) to form Ward-Belmont College in 1913. Harpeth Hall opened in 1951 after Ward-Belmont was closed. Harpeth Hall represents Ward-Belmont's college preparatory division. The college was reopened by the TN Baptists Association in 1951, which is today's Belmont University. In our archives we have many pictures of students on the grand staircase as the mansion was the center of campus and many activities. The last picture is our visit to the Belmont University Archives located in the Lila D. Bunch Library, also on Belmont's campus. It was a great look at all that goes on "behind the velvet ropes."

Thursday, January 24, 2013

2013 Exhibits!

Come see our two new exhibits! The exhibit cases are both in the middle school and our theme celebrates Harpeth Hall's rich history of athletics and wellness as well as leaders in physical education.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

2013 Interview: Dr. W.E. Ward's great-granddaughter, Jean Ward Oldfield

Last week our Public History class participated in an Oral History project with Jean Ward Oldfield. The students prepared and asked her about her family and her time in school at Ward-Belmont. Here is some information about Mrs. Oldfield's family and connection to our school's history.

Ward's Seminary was founded by William E. Ward and Eliza Hudson Ward in 1865. The school merger with Belmont College for Young Women in 1913 to become Ward-Belmont. Harpeth Hall opened after the closing of W-B in 1951 when the college preparatory division failed to reopen as part of the new (co-ed) Belmont College. Jean Ward Oldfield was the daughter of William Ward III (the son of William and Eliza Ward). Although she never met her great-grandfather or great-grandmother she maintains a wealth of knowledge about the family, Nashville, and the founding of the school. Mrs. Oldfield also attended Ward-Belmont from 1943-1947. Upon graduation from W-B she attended Vanderbilt University where she received a B.S. After the interview, Mrs. Oldfield told us, "I enjoyed being with you and the girls and I hope the girls came away realizing how the lives of women have changed in really a pretty short time. The world is open to them. Also, maybe they will realize the importance of writing things down. How many times I have wished I could ask a question of someone who was no longer in this world. Have a good rest of the year and thanks for giving me the opportunity of talking about my family. Blessings!" Thank you to Maddie Shankle who did all of the video camera work and Ruth Huggins who took the following pictures.

Nashville City Cemetery (2013)

Opened in 1822, the City Cemetery is the oldest continuously operated public cemetery in Nashville. A walk through the cemetery is truly a walk through Nashville's history. The gravestones tell the stories of individuals and families from the 1820s to the present day.In response to the disrepair, vandalism, and neglect over many decades, former Mayor Bill Purcell and the Metro Council approved the Mayor's Capital Budget request for a $3M project to restore, which was completed in 2010. Many exciting and noticeable improvements have been made including paved walkways, street lights, named "streets" and new signage, working restrooms, informational kiosks throughout cemetery, dog waste stations, clearly marked rules, history markers, repair, restoration, and preservation of tombstones, markers, and other memorials. The cemetery has not become a tourist and local destination as well as a beautiful place to walk or visit regularly. There are also "living history" events held there during the year. The cemetery is maintained through a partnership between the Metro Historical Council and Nashville City Cemetery Association (a private, non-profit group). In the pictures below see our class TA (Maddie Shankle, Class of 2012) teach a lesson about prominent citizens buried in the cemetery. We also happen to see Miss Patty's sister, Jane Deloney, who was there changing the holiday greenery of her great-grandfather's final resting place. Finally, the class appreciated seeing the grave marker of one of the original, and most famous, of all the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Ella Sheppard Moore. She was as popular in the late 1800s as Jennifer Hudson (minus social media) today!