Update from Melanie Scriptunas at DHF

DIHI was featured in a recent News Journal article!

Greetings from the Delaware Humanities Forum

As summer intern at the Delaware Humanities Forum, my primary duty is to help publicize and develop a consortium for our Delaware Industrial History Initiative in the Digital Humanities (DIHI). With support from the "We the People" program of the National Endowment for the Humanities, DHF has made grants available to nonprofit organizations for digitization projects related to Delaware's industrial past. We are currently working to construct a federated search engine that will allow researchers and educators to access the collections of participating organizations via a central platform. Our request for a second round of DIHI funding from NEH has just been approved, so we are also in the process of recruiting potential grant applicants and inviting them to join our consortium. We have DIHI planning meetings scheduled in each of Delaware’s three counties during the month of September. Consortium members from New Castle County will meet in the Community Service Building in Wilmington to discuss how the digital platform might benefit their repositories. Similar meetings will occur in Kent County at the Delaware Public Archives and in Sussex County at the Milton Historical Society. The purpose of the meetings is to ensure that the digital platform best serves the needs of nonprofit organizations featuring humanities content. More information about the Delaware Industrial History Initiative is available at the DHF website.

In addition to assisting with DIHI, I have taken on the task of digitizing our own collections. DHF houses a variety of materials related to programs and events that we have sponsored since our founding in 1973. Among these materials are: photographs from the release of If You Lived Here You Would Be Home Now, a film about Delaware artist Jack Lewis and his longtime residence, Bridgeville; photographs from several Annual Chautauqua Tent Shows, when they were hosted by DHF; 18 mm reels of films on Pennsylvania German art and rural life, sturgeon fishing on the Delaware, the town of Lewes, and the Chesapeake Bay; slides of the Felton, Houston, and Leipsic Heritage Programs; cassette tape recordings of the Art Furniture Symposium at the Delaware Art Museum; and dozens of VHS tapes of DHF-funded films. These items need to be properly stored and preserved in digital formats.

When I am not working on either of these projects, I am helping with the planning and execution of other DHF programs and events. We recently hosted a Grant Application Writing Workshop at the Kirkwood Library, where representatives from various nonprofit agencies gathered to learn more about our current grant programs and how to apply for them. Agents from nearly thirty organizations—including Winterthur, Hagley, the Delaware Art Museum, WHYY, the Newark and Port Penn Historical Societies, and UD’s Museum Studies and Department of English—turned out for this event. The workshop explained the mission of the Delaware Humanities Forum, answered questions about our application process, and provided a unique networking opportunity for Delaware’s nonprofit and academic communities. DHF holds workshops like this one periodically throughout the year.

Another DHF public program is our Annual Lecture. I am excited to report that we recently confirmed the details of our lecture for 2010. National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman Jim Leach will visit the campus of Delaware State University on Tuesday, November 9th. The festivities will include an 11 a.m. lecture and meet-and-greet opportunities. Chairman Leach will visit Delaware as part of his 50-state “American Civility Tour,” a nationwide initiative to promote awareness of the need for civility in public discourse. "Civilization requires civility," Leach maintains. “Words matter. Polarizing attitudes can jeopardize social cohesion.” Leach began his four-year term as NEH chairman in August 2009 after serving for 30 years as a congressman representing southeastern Iowa, where he founded and co-chaired the Congressional Humanities Caucus.

For up-to-date information about DHF programs and events, find us on Facebook, and visit our homepage to sign up for our e-news.

Melanie Scriptunas
English Department
University of Delaware

Anna - Biggs Museum of American Art

Greetings! I'm a PhD student in art history at the University of Delaware, working as an intern at the Biggs Museum of American Art this summer.

The museum is quite small, with only four full-time employees, so I am getting the full experience of working in a small museum by doing many different tasks. The museum's collection was the private collection of Sewell Biggs (you can read the story at http://www.biggsmuseum.org/about/history.html) and is housed in a handsome building in Dover, capital of Delaware. The museum has recently expanded to occupy all three floors of the building, so right now thing are in flux but everyone is excited about the expansion. Sewell Biggs' main focus as a collector was on American art and furniture from early colonial times to the early 20th century, with an exclusive interest in representational art. The permanent collection is exhibited on the second and third floors of the museum. We also have a rotating exhibition space on the first and second floors, which is currently housing the Award Winners exhibition (read about that at http://www.biggsmuseum.org/exhibitions.html). The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9-4:30, and Sunday 1:30-4:30. It's free, so please come by and visit!

I am currently working on writing a collections page for the museum's website. I plan on formatting it as a timeline, similar to the Metropolitan Museum's art history timeline, but focused solely on American art, and, for the 20th century, on art from the Delaware and Philadelphia region. I have also taken time from this project to help the rest of the staff paint one of the rooms we recently acquired so it can be used as a children's activity space and reception area. Other projects I have worked on include writing a grants database for the museum; writing a self-guided tour on fashion in the collection; learning how to correctly move furniture and paintings in the exhibition space with the curator, and setting up a multimedia exhibition space for the Award Winners show.

Hope everyone is having a fantastic summer!

Greetings from Dover!

Robin Valencia
Historical and Cultural Affairs
Department of State
Dover, DE

I’m currently interning at the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs for the Department of State, located in Dover, DE. This department houses collections from museums all over the state as well as objects that belong to the state directly. In my office there are two departments: collections and archaeology. Though we are technically separate, the camaraderie between the two sides is undeniable. Listening to the projects going on around the state and learning what they are discovering about Delaware history is truly fascinating. Just in case you were wondering, visitors are welcome to view and study the collections, but only by appointment.

My current project is to catalogue and photograph the artwork collections of Jack Lewis, Howard Schroeder, and Orville Houghton Peets. Mostly working in watercolors, they each represent a different style in depicting the Delaware landscape and its people. In addition to scenes of Delaware they also worked in other locations around the world and a small sampling of these works are present in the collections. For this summer, I hope to finish all three collections and maybe move on to others that need catalogued if there’s enough time at the end.

Now some of you may be wondering why I chose to work in Dover for the summer. Frankly, I had never visited Dover before my internship started. I’d always drive past it on Route 1 on the way to the beach. Many ask me, “What’s in Dover?” when I mention that I’m working there. My answer tends to be, “Not much, but there are some really cool museums!” In fact there are some neat museums including the Biggs Art Museum, the Johnson Victrola Museum, and the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover AFB. There’s also the Delaware Visitor Center & Galleries located at the Public Archives. From my tours around Dover, I’ve discovered that it’s a neat little city that’s worth at least a visit.

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their internships!

Alana Staiti - Chemical Heritage Foundation

This summer I'm interning in the Special Collections department at the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) in Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia. The CHF is an organization that promotes research in and education about the history of chemistry. I'm particularly interested in learning about the CHF's relationships with other institutions, including cultural organizations, chemical companies, and academic institutions. I'll get back to that shortly, but first I should tell you about how I spend most of my time. I have been scanning and cataloging advertisements from the Dow Chemical Company from the 1920s through 2006. The company's archives were formally acquired by the CHF in 2008.

Some of you may have never heard of Dow, but you have certainly heard of their products. Dow is a huge multi-national company that was (is) responsible for making Saran Wrap, household cleaners, herbicides and pesticides (including DDT in the 40s and 50s), plastics, industrial chemicals, and aircraft equipment. The ads that I'm scanning are geared to ordinary consumers and the magazines they came from include The Saturday Evening Post, Time, Newsweek, Better Homes & Gardens, and the Country Gentleman. Judging from the above list of products, it's safe to say that Dow has pervasively influenced American consumer culture; at the very least, who hasn't heard of Saran Wrap?!

I really enjoy being able to read through all of the ads. The former environmental science student in me, however, struggles with the new-found knowledge that while Dow's old products may have helped shape an American consumer lifestyle, they also probably contributed to many forms of environmental degradation. I was especially stunned to learn that Dow pushed for DDT's use in mid-century agricultural magazines (of course, this was before people knew about DDT's negative effects on animals). I brought this up to my supervisor and asked whether the museum tries to negotiate these issues at all through exhibitions, programs, or lectures -- namely, the unintended consequences of chemistry broadly. She said that they would like to probe these issues, but it's difficult for the CHF to present controversial subjects because of its affiliations with certain chemical companies. Cataloging Dow's ads has helped me recognize the historical significance of this company; at the same time, it has led me to think about the broader political and environmental consequences related to a chemical company's long-lasting influence on American consumer culture.

Rebecca Pineo
DE Dept. Health & Social Services Garden Project
New Castle, DE

As a Fellow in the Longwood Graduate Program for Public Horticulture, my internship experience is a bit atypical compared to other MSST students. The Longwood Graduate Program, which trains its students for management positions in public gardens, arboreta, and similar organizations, is focused strongly on experiential learning. Thus the yearly Professional Outreach Project, affectionately referred to as “POP.” It’s a summer-long effort in which all ten students (five first year students and five second year students) work together to complete a pro bono consulting project within the field of public horticulture.

Leadership positions are another mainstay of the Longwood Graduate Program, in which each student is assigned to manage various aspects or activities within the program. For my first year, I served as Assistant POP Leader. Now, in my second year, I have been promoted to POP Leader, charged with coordinating all aspects of the project. I’ll be organizing meeting logistics; managing the budget and timeline; ensuring good communication between students, our advisory committee, and all stakeholders; and, of course, informing people about our adventures both here and on our own Longwood Graduate Program blog.

The end of April marked the first stages of planning for this year’s Professional Outreach Project. The five rising second year students began by discussing topics we’d like to explore, narrowing it down to the big three: community outreach, urban greening, and volunteer programs. Then, we canvassed a few local institutions to see whether they might need assistance with a project in one of these areas.

After some thoughtful discussions, top-notch meetings, and tough decisions, we decided on our summer project. We’ll be developing landscape design concepts for a new 1-acre garden at the Delaware Psychiatric Center in New Castle, DE. A joint venture between the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, the Delaware Department of Agriculture, the New Castle County Cooperative Extension, the University of Delaware’s Center for Disability Services, and the Delaware Center for Horticulture, the new garden will incorporate principles of universal accessibility and sustainable agriculture. It is envisioned as a venue for horticultural therapy, art therapy, and community gardening, as well as a place for respite and reflection.

Sounds like a great project, right? We think so too. Stay tuned for more information, and I promise, no “POP” quizzes!

In early June, we met with two of the project masterminds--Faith Kuehn, Plant Industries Administrator for the Delaware Department of Agriculture, and Ray Majewski, Director of Therapy at Delaware Psychiatric Center. We also had a chance to chat with Bruce, head of greenhouse operations.

In addition to explaining the project, Ray and Faith gave us a tour of the future garden site.

As you can see, we have a blank slate to work with!

The Civil War Home Front in the Brandywine Creek Area

Kevin Impellizeri

Hagley Museum and Library

Wilmington, DE

Greetings, fellow museum enthusiasts, from the photogenic grounds of the Hagley Museum and Library. The Library is preparing to host an exhibit highlighting the home front of the Brandywine creek area during the Civil War. I have been tasked with compiling a narrative on the subject, examining how the region responded to and was impacted by the War Between the States. The region played a significant role in the Union war effort, as E.I. Du Pont de Nemours and Co. supplied over fifty percent of the federal government's gunpowder. Moreover, I will be calling attention to useful primary sources and potential exhibit objects from Hagley's impressive collection.

I began my internship last week (June 14) and spent most of the week getting myself acclimated with the material, researching general histories of the Du Pont family, the powder mills of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, and the local communities (such as Eleutherian Mills, Squirrel Run, Henry Clay Village, Rising Sun and Waters Banks). Harold Hancock put together some fascinating studies on the subject during the 1950s and 1960s, which provided an excellent starting point for me. By the end of the week I had begun to investigate the correspondence of members of the du Pont family, beginning with Sophie du Pont, the wife of Commodore (and later Rear Admiral) Samuel Francis du Pont.

Some of the topics I plan on investigating include the following:

Defense of the community, and especially the gunpowder mills: For the people of Delaware, the Civil War was never far from their doorsteps, and the region faced the persistent threat of Rebel invasion. The powder mills were an especially lucrative target for Rebel invasion or sabotage.

The role of the du Pont family: The du Pont family was intensely pro-Union and several members of the family contributed to the war effort. A number of the du Pont men served in the military. For example, Henry Algernon du Pont served in the Union army, where he earned the Congressional Medal of Honor. Several of the du Pont women joined charitable organizations and coordinated relief aid for Union soldiers.

The efforts of the Brandywine community: The du Ponts were not the only people involved in the war effort. Local residents joined volunteer regiments, held fund raisers, sewed winter clothes for soldiers, and participated in various other activities during the war.

Public celebrations and commemorations: I would like to see how residents responded to the activity of the Civil War through their celebrations. For example, the Union naval victory at Port Royal, led by Samuel F. du Pont, and Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox.

The powder mills during the Civil War: Workers needed to keep up with larger than average orders for gunpowder. Moreover, the mills were subject to no less than eight explosions during the course of the war, exacting a heavy cost on production and human lives.

Other topics I plan on investigating include the everyday lives of community members during the war and the handling of residents sympathetic (or suspected of being sympathetic) toward secession or the Confederate war effort. Over the next few weeks I will provide periodic updates on my progress and what you can expect in my final report. It is an exciting project and I feel fortunate to be playing a part in it.

Keep choppin'

--

Kevin