"The pilot is intended to test the value and
usability of the site," said Nancy Finlay, Curator of Graphics
at CHS and Project Leader for Connecticut History Online.
"We encourage teachers, researchers and the general public to
share thoughts with us since the web site will become a primary
resource in the teaching of Connecticut and American history."
Connecticut History Online reflects Connecticut's
social, educational, political, civic, and cultural life from
1800 to 1950. The pilot web site currently includes more than
1000 images from the collections of all three institutions –
additional images are being added every day. Teachers and students
from throughout the state are working with project leaders to
develop online activities, classroom lessons, teachers’
workshops, and student-friendly finding aids.
"The present pilot site includes two sample lesson
plans designed to help students in grades 7-12 build observation,
analysis, and critical thinking skills by bringing primary resources
into the classroom," said Thomas Wilsted, Director of the Dodd
Research Center. "Input is crucial so that we can create better
access to local history for students and Connecticut residents
alike.
"The pilot web site also gives us a glimpse of
the powerful search engine that will allow users to efficiently
search masses of images. A visitor can now perform simple and
refined searches by keyword, subject, creator and place name,
and even limit searches by location or by date. When complete,
a digital gazeteer will allow users to search images by geographical
location.
The quantity and variety of Connecticut images
owned by the three institutions is astonishing," added Mary
Anne Stets, Curator of Photography at Mystic Seaport. "Connecticut
History Online is an excellent opportunity to make available
to a much wider audience important and one-of-a-kind visual
material only found in large institutional collections.
"The Thomas J. Dodd Research Center at the University
of Connecticut is home to more than 1 million photographic images
on Connecticut businesses, towns, railroads, nursing and education.
Mystic Seaport and houses the world’s largest collection
of maritime photography, which numbers more than one million
images. The Connecticut Historical Society holds 239,000 photographs,
prints and drawings detailing Connecticut’s people, places,
and activities.
The research and creation of Connecticut History
Online is funded by The Institute for Museum and Library
Services’ prestigious National Leadership Grant program.
The collaborative partnership between the three institutions
has been designed so that partners may join to assure for the
continuous growth of the database while meeting the continuously
changing interests and needs of Connecticut’s students
and teachers.
"We hope people will help us shape an exciting
and new learning experience for the new century," added Finlay.
Comments on the Connecticut History Online pilot web
site may be sent to Allison Zhang, Project Coordinator at allison_zhang@chs.org,
by phone at (860) 236-5621, ext. 272, or via mail at The Connecticut
Historical Society, One Elizabeth Street, Hartford, CT 06105.
Attention teachers: if you have developed
lessons or activities that may be of use to Connecticut History
Online, or if you are interested in joining the CHO Teacher
Advisory Committee, contact Rebecca Furer at (860) 236-5621,
ext. 219 or by e-mail at rebecca_furer@chs.org.
________________
Established in Hartford in 1825, The
Connecticut Historical Society is a non-profit museum, library
and education center which collects, preserves and interprets
the history of the diverse people – past and present –
who have made our state their home. The Graphics Collection
houses 239,000 prints, photographs and drawings. The museum’s
collections of Connecticut-related furniture, silver, pewter,
costumes, paintings, tavern signs, and graphics materials are
among the largest in existence. The library holds three million
manuscripts and nearly 100,000 volumes, including one of the
finest genealogy collections in New England. Located at One
Elizabeth Street in Hartford, the CHS may be reached by phone
at (860) 236-5621, or online at www.chs.org.
Mystic Seaport -
The Museum of America and the Sea - was founded in
1929 and houses the largest collection of boats and maritime
photography in the world. This private, not-for-profit educational
institution serves over a million people annually, including
visitors, researchers and scholars from around the world, and
approximately 25,000 members from each of the 50 states and
30 foreign countries. Renowned for its recreated 19th-century
village area of historic buildings and tall ships, Mystic Seaport
offers exhibit galleries and a unique shipyard where the nearly
lost art of wooden shipbuilding comes to life. The Museum's
planetarium, publishing program, acclaimed research library
and exceptional online access complement extensive youth, undergraduate
and graduate maritime education courses. For more information,
call Mystic Seaport at (888) 969-7842, or online at www.mysticseaport.org.
Dedicated in 1995, the Thomas J. Dodd Research
Center acquires and preserves unique and irreplaceable books,
manuscripts, and archives, housing them in a state-of-the-art
facility. Significant collection areas include Alternative Politics
and Culture; American and English Literature; Children's Literature;
Connecticut Business, Labor, Politics, Railroads, and Public
Affairs; Hispanic History and Culture; Natural History; and
the University of Connecticut Archives. The Center also serves
students, faculty, and members of the public with lectures,
special events, and exhibitions. The Thomas J. Dodd Center is
on The University of Connecticut campus in Storrs. For more
information call (860) 486-2524, or online at www.lib.uconn.edu/DoddCenter.
