Thesis Update: Independent Study and a Slight Change of Focus

        As noted in my last post, I spent the spring semester completing thesis work required for my Fine Art Studio degree, which meant that I would have to finish my Museum Studies thesis as an independent study course this semester, under the advisement of Dr. Decker. The completion of my BFA degree went well, but I still didn’t have much of a break after the semester ended; I was selected to present on the Uncommon Press at this year’s meeting of the Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM), and accordingly continued working on my thesis in May and June, albeit with a shifted focus. 

        Originally, I intended to examine original or reconstructed objects which can be found in various cultural institutions, such as the press, through a lens which combines object-based, interactive-based, and interpretive-based educational lenses. For the conference presentation, however, and ultimately for my actual thesis, I decided that it would instead be more beneficial to focus on the way in which such objects can be utilized as touchstones for STEM education.

Daniel Krull presenting at ALHFAM 2017
(Photo courtesy of Dr. Juilee Decker)

        At this point, I've turned in my first in-progress draft, which has been edited by both my readers - Dr. Decker and Dr. Steven Galbraith, curator of the Cary Graphic Arts Collection. I'll soon be submitting the next iteration, which will include an expanded and edited section about applications of STEM educational standards, and an updated literature review, which will be better-aligned with my updated focus. Once I've turned in this new version, I'll also be writing a new blog post. I'm planning to outline some of the actual ways in which I correlated the Uncommon Press and its use to STEM education and common core standards, so stay tuned.  

The End Marks the Beginning

       The fall semester is nearly over, and that means intercession is rapidly approaching. It's important, then, to have a plan of work, so that we can be productive during the winter break. That said, my plan is somewhat different from those of my Research Methods classmates, mainly due to the fact that I’m the only student who will not be completing their thesis in the spring. As I mentioned in my introductory post (which seems so long ago at this point), I’m a dual degree student, in both the Museum Studies program and the Fine Art Studio program. Accordingly, I’ll be spending most of next semester working to complete a cohesive body of art, which I’ll be exhibiting at Gallery R for the Senior Show. During the 2017 Fall semester, then, I’ll be finishing my thesis through independent study with Dr. Juilee Decker, who normally teaches the Spring thesis class, and who is also my primary advisor. I want to stay as focused as possible, of course, on my Museum Studies thesis, so I’m still going to be working on it over the winter break, but my schedule is going to be a little more relaxed than ones like Katie, Hannah, and Kelli’s.

       By January 10th: I’ll have overhauled my thesis proposal, based on the edits and alterations suggested by the Museum Studies faculty members. I can’t currently say exactly how I’ll allocate my time so I can reach this goal, as I don’t yet know the extent of their advised changes. I will have two full weeks after Christmas to work on this, however, so I expect that if I plan to work at least 2 hours a day 3 times a week, that will amount to 12 hours, which will (hopefully) be more than enough time.

       By January 17th: I will have expanded my literature review, by exploring at least one additional resource for each section (English Common Press, Object-based Education, Interactive-based Education, Interpreter-based Education), in addition to adding in data from the Uncommon Press tech paper, which I finished editing for the team yesterday afternoon. This deadline will give me an entire week after finishing the recommended edits to continue researching and adding to my literature review. I plan to put in a minimum of 3 hours a day, to ensure that I’m able to reach this goal. 
       At this point I’ll also have started looking further into picking a 2nd reader. I’m considering approaching Brian Nagel, who serves as Director of Interpretation & Director of Programs & Collections at GCVM. I plan to contact Mr. Nagel during this week (January 10th-17th), hopefully to set up a meeting with him to discuss my thesis.

       By January 20th: I plan to have received Dr. Decker's approval & signature for my updated thesis proposal, so that I can have that taken care of before the start of the spring semester. I expect that this goal shouldn’t take much work, since it will be facilitated by my aforementioned goals. On the 17th I'll email email Dr. Decker my updated proposal, which will include faculty-advised edits & new literature review sources, so that she’ll have some time to review it.

       That's pretty much how I currently see things going. Now I have (at least what I consider to be) a treat for all of you. On Friday afternoon, the Uncommon Press team unveiled our press at the Cary Graphic Arts Collection. I would say that the press was 99.9% complete - it just needed a few minor alterations and additions, which we'll be completing today. The unveiling went quite well, and we had many people in attendance, including family members of each team member, RIT faculty and students, partners from the Genesee Country Village and Museum (who helped with blacksmithing & wood turning), and of course Steven Galbraith, Amelia Hugill-Fontanel, and Greg Decker from the Cary. While I was talking to Dr. Galbraith, he expressed his interest in my thesis, and offered to provide his assistance if I needed it. I think his input and insight could be very helpful as a third reader, or perhaps a second, if the possibility of having Brian Nagel fill the role of secondary advisor doesn't work out.

The (virtually completed) Uncommon Press, outside the Cary Collection on the 2nd floor of the Wallace Center.

It's been a great experience working with this team, and with any luck, I'll be able to work alongside some of them again in the future, once we're out of RIT and have entered our professional careers.

Obligatory team photo. Left to right: Daniel Krull, Seth Gottlieb, Randall Paulhamus, Veronica Hebbard, Ron Maguire (GCVM), Ferris Nicolais, and Matthew Schofield (GCVM).

Printing Press Thesis Evolution

My thesis has evolved significantly over the last three months. Originally, I had just a rather vague idea of a potential thesis idea - I wanted to utilize my work as part of the Uncommon Press team to approach the subject of a reconstructed printing press from a museum studies perspective. Since then, it has gone through a few iterations. I next thought that I’d focus on the way in which such a press, being held by a cultural institution, could be utilized by a local school as an educational object. As I’ve done more scholarly research & discussed the project with my primary adviser, Dr. Decker, my thesis has changed to its current version, which is to analyze three educational methods utilized by museums, objected-based, interactive-based, and interpreter-based, and to formulate an educational procedure or plan which utilizes the press in a way that offers maximum learning potential for visitors.

Hannah, an interpreter from Edes & Gill, a colonial printing shop experience in Boston, MA, speaking to visitors
while Seth holds up a freshly printed copy of the Declaration of Independence.

As I continue to work on my thesis, I certainly expect it will continue to change, but likely in more subtle ways. Since our thesis proposal is due in a week, it would obviously be best if my focus stayed primarily on the press in relation to the educational methods that I mentioned above. It's quite possible, however, that my ongoing research into scholarly writings on museum education will mean that another useful educational method will become apparent. If that happens, I'll likely incorporate it into my thesis, since my goal is to create the most successful educational plan possible. I mentioned this in our last class, but just over a week ago, we brought back nearly all of the wooden parts of the press from our custom woodworker in Harrisburg, PA, after spending the day working on finishing up a variety of smaller details. We're actively working on getting all of the metal pieces ready, but it's still looking rather impressive.

A sped up video of Seth interacting with the reconstructed press at Edes & Gill, 

and getting to personally print out a copy of the Declaration of Independence.

I mentioned this in our last class, but just over a week ago, we brought back nearly all of the wooden parts of the press from our custom woodworker in Harrisburg, PA, after spending the day working on finishing up a variety of smaller details. We're actively working on getting all of the metal pieces ready, but it's still looking rather impressive.

The press as it currently stands, with virtually all of the wooden parts complete & in place. 

Research Update: What I've Learned & What I Still Need To Learn

Currently, the core of my thesis is focused on the use of an English Common Press reconstruction as an educational object. Accordingly, I've been looking into scholarly work on museum-based learning. More specifically, I'm examining methods for & perspectives on education through objects, interactive education, and education which utilizes interpretation. One of the things I've learned is that the museum field’s current perspective on using an object for interpretive educational purposes is essentially a 3-part process. First, one would want to begin by focusing on the physicality of the object. Next, one would use information related to said object to move toward examining the people who would be connected to the object, and these people's actions. Finally, one would transition to examining the broader ideas which are relevant to the object and to the aforementioned individuals.
Throughout this entire process, however, it is important to make a connection with the modern viewer or visitor. This seems to be where my research on interaction and interpretation will be helpful. I've gathered multiple sources which delve into the topic of interpretation, including the types which are facilitated by a docent or a 1st or 3rd-person interpreter. This is also where my investigation into museum theater is starting to help. By creating a reconstructed printing press, we're taking an object that is generally unusable due to its age, and providing one which is fully operational. I'm currently of the opinion that having a costumed interpreter operate the press while engaging with visitors could be quite beneficial for visitor education. We actually had this experience at the The Printing Office of Edes & Gill, where we talked to an interpreter named Hannah about the replica press which she was operating.

Interpreter Hannah with the Ralph Green replica press at The Printing Office of Edes & Gill

One area which I certainly need to explore more deeply is that of scholarly data pertaining to the history and creation of the English Common Press. I have learned some useful information, of course, during my time working on the project, especially when assisting with on-site research at the museums and historical societies we've visited. This was especially true when I looked through & duplicated about half a dozen folders of documents held at the Exeter Historical Society and the Vermont History Museum. During this research, I actually have the opportunity to examine some fascinating primary source materials from both Elizabeth Harris and Clinton Sisson, in which they discussed the provenance of the Dresden Press.

The Dresden Press at the Vermont History Museum

I still need more historical information, however, if I want to provide a sufficient understanding of the press in the earlier, foundational part of my thesis. Currently, I plan to obtain this knowledge and information through various methods. I’m going to interview Seth Gottlieb, another member of the Uncommon Press team, since he has been the primary historical researcher for the project. Seth also has at least one scholarly source that he plans to share with me, which I expect will serve to further enhance my understanding of the subject.

Uncommon Press Team Photo (Seth, Ferris, Veronica, Daniel, Randy)

(MUSE)ings On What I've Learned About Research Methods

As Hannah pointed out in her most recent post, my understanding of the thesis research & writing process has changed & grown significantly since the start of this class. One of the things that I've learned over the past 6 weeks, which has particularly stuck with me, is the way in which even a simple chart can be surprisingly beneficial for clearly laying out the data that is covered in one's thesis. This has been apparent in a few different articles, but seemed particularly clear in Whitney Baker's article on bumper sticker history. In Table 1 of her article, Baker provides an overview of a broad range of data, such as historical dates, substrate materials, ink types, and design features.¹ In her long, written out format, she examines these different pieces of information over several pages. Utilizing the table format, however, allowed her to provide, compare, and contrast the most important details in a space of less than half a page. The was one of the easier articles to digest, but even so, her use of the chart really helped me to grasp the information quickly & accurately. I expect that such a method of data conveyance could be particularly useful for my thesis, as at least a small section will likely detail physical aspects of the different wooden printing presses that have existed throughout history.

In a somewhat similar vein, the way in which Amy Starecheski used footnotes in her article on squatting history really helped me come to understand how useful Chicago-style can be when writing a thesis. For example, her twenty-first, twenty-second, and twenty-third citations, all on one page, offer additional sources for the reader to explore, explain nuances of the squatting culture, and cite the source for a quote that she utilized.² My thesis will likely need to include a variety of footnotes, as it will be utilizing books about printing presses, scholarly articles on education, and personal conversations with various individuals involved with the Uncommon Press project. I think my writing will be far clearer with this citation style than it would be with APA or MLA, due to way in which Chicago-style will let me cite all of these sources, while also having the ability to explain specific terminology or design details.

As I've been delving into writings that are specifically related to my topic, I've found it interesting to see the differences between some of the scholarly articles we've read, and the books about printing presses that have been published. I'm really looking forward to doing further research, to learn more about my topic, but also to learn more about the process that goes into researching & writing.

---

1 Whitney Baker, “Soapbox for the Automobile: Bumper Sticker History, Identification, and Preservation,” Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archives Professionals, 7:3, (Summer 2011) pp. 251-270.

2 Amy Starecheski, “Squatting History: The Power of Oral History as a History-Making Practice,” The Oral History Review, 41:2, (Summer/Fall 2014) pp. 187-216. ^↩