Unsettled Things: Objects and Knowledge in Nineteenth-Century America

This course explores the history of collecting, with a focus on local museum and university collections. College Hill is home to numerous accumulations of things, from Civil War relics to Old Master paintings and fragments of taxidermy. Where did these objects come from? Why were they collected? How have their meanings and uses changed over time? How might we reconsider them today? Students will examine objects; read about collecting and the development of natural history, anthropology, history, and fine art; write research papers that incorporate material culture methodology; and co-curate an exhibition.