Wooden Histories: Narratives of Rural Abandonment and Disappearing Landmarks

Summary

The post 1820 wooden barns of the American mid-west are both physical structures, made of large beams, pegs and stone foundations, and silent witnesses to the dynamic interface between local, national and global social and economic changes.  Drawing upon research in rural Indiania, this presentation explores the interface of regional historical research, personal interviews, and visual recording, to explore the process and potential contributions of documentary filmmaking in narrating local farmstead histories.  

As a graduate/undergraduate elective, this course thematically focuses on understanding and documenting the historical, social, economic and personal stories centered on 19th through 20th century Indiana local barns, and placing these in a meaningful cultural and historical context.  Focusing on the barn as a material setting and documenting the past through the integration of historical research, oral history and digital video.

An example of the work from this class can be found here. https://vimeo.com/216536898/bb1839ff4b

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018   •
• Localized Rural Histories and Connected Worlds: Interdisciplinary Narratives of Transformation, Emigration and Interaction

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 1083