For our project, my group will be studying the change in the physical appearance and usage of different buildings on the quad. To do this, we will be creating a story map of JMU’s quad where viewers can click on each individual building an access information about it. Viewers will be able to access information about the buildings that will tell a story about how the buildings have changed as a result of JMU’s transforming student life. Viewers will also be able to see how student life has changed on its own through descriptions of how the buildings were used. We intend to use the juxtapose tool to show before and after pictures of each building we study as a way to show how the life and landscape of JMU has changed. I will be studying the buildings Harrison, Carrier, and Spotswood hall. I intend to find past and present pictures of the buildings exterior, its inner features, and the activities that take place there. By doing this I will compare and explain the pictures to show viewers how student life on the quad has changed. I intend to explain how physical features of each hall’s appearance have changed and what led those changes to happen. I will explain how activities within the hall have changed by using pictures of past and present events happening at the building. I will also explain how the students have changed by using past and present pictures of students at the hall, noting differences in style, what items they possess, and how they seem to act.
My found artifact is a picture the Student Building’s exterior (now Harrison Hall), taken in 1917 (shortly after the building was built). This picture was found in JMU special collections, and is a digital image. Since it is a digital image it will easily upload to the website with no further need to digitize it. I can use this picture to discuss the physical differences of Harrison’s appearance from the outside, noting what has changed and why it has changed in such a way. I can do this by using juxtapose to show an interactive picture of Harrison hall that allows users to slide across one old picture to reveal another updated picture. I will use the context of what Harrison hall used to serve as and what it serves as now to explain these differences. For example, Harrison used to be the student building with an auditorium, dining hall, classrooms, a movie projector, and a bunch of other things. Now, Harrison is the main building for the school of communications and school of media arts and design. I can note how physical changes in the outside appearance reflect the changes in the building’s purpose. An example of this could be the renovated walkway that goes across the buildings entrance. This change was probably made for the increasing number of classes being taught there, and thus an increase in student foot traffic. I will also mention additions to Harrison such as a basement as well as a TV studio.
Control #Bhar01, JMU Historic Photos Online, Special Collections, Carrier Library,
James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va
Recent Comments