First-the Museum. There are two standard museum formats that will be discussed here, narrative, and repository. The idea behind a repository museum is that you take everything you have and put it on display, much like the old visitor’s center museum. The idea behind a narrative museum is that you put one item on display to illustate a point. This is the style of the new museum. And calling it “artifact-less” almost makes me think that you can’t have been there. Most people take upwards of two hours to wander through.

The advantages of a narrative museum over a repository museum is that it tells the story to people who are not familiar with it. We had plenty of complaints about not having 18 Springfield rifles on display, however, they are still there, and all you need do is email the proper authority and you may not only see them, you can, with proper supervision, handle them, which is MORE than you could have done at the old museum. And, with the new narrative museum, the technical owners of all of the artifacts, have them presented within a context (something not given with the old museum) and with a display method that allows for better preservation.

The Cyclorama building I cannot comment on because it is actually an ACTIVE COURT CASE. If the National Park Service were to begin demolition now, they would be involved in legal struggles for time immemorial. It is not because they are sitting on their thumbs.

Instead of focussing on these changes, which you are obviously upset about, think about the fact that now, with the restoration of the treelines, you can see where Benning and Robertson’s brigades advanced, and if you walk in the right place, you can actually find the Timber’s farm, more than you could have done years ago. Also, you should take a chance and see the Cyclorama restored. Twenty feet of sky and a ten foot verticle panel have been added where they were missing, and now the painting is hung the way it was first intended and adds perspective to the work.

As for John Latschar, I am also not in a position to comment.

Just wanted to provide another link on this in case you didn’t see it: What will be Latschar’s Legacy? from the Gettysburg Times.

Jenny

Randy

Just wow. Speechless. Talk about using his contacts to get ahead. Brian