Exploring the Resources: a Project Update

I found the coding workshop this week to be very interesting and exciting. As my father is in the programming and web design industry, I have really grown up around coding. I was convinced I would follow his career path until I found out that the program I had been using did not exist outside of the school. I haven’t been involved with coding for a couple years now and this workshop was the perfect refresher. Not only was it relatively easy, it reminded me that I could also make my project a little more interesting.

While I was at work on Friday, I was discussing my project with my coworkers. As they were the ones responsible for the display at the museum I figured they would be good to talk to about finding resources. Most of their information came from the Wellington County Archives. After Aly mentioned SketchUp during class, I have been exploring different possibilities to expand my project. I had wanted to construct a 3D model of the rooms in the Poor House in their original state from 1877. However, after discussing with Phil Dietrich, the Museum Technician, he told me that the only records available are from the renovation in 1974 when the building was to become the Wellington County Museum. Phil also showed me the architect drawings for the renovation which marked out demolition information and measurements. He had also suggested having the room display interactive. He used SketchUp to design the displays for the exhibit and said that older versions had a “Walk Through” option where you could take a virtual tour of the design. I have downloaded the program and have started to explore it.

I am also searching the archives database to explore the different resources available. I have found a few audio clips from interviews of previous residents conducted by past curators and hope to be able to incorporate them into my exhibit. I am also starting to search the University’s database and the Guelph Museum for pieces pertaining to the poor house.

I am hoping to expand on the stories of the residents of the Wellington County Poor House/House of Industry. I want to give the visitors a sense of what it was actually like to live at the House. I have not decided exactly which program I will use to create my exhibit. I am contemplating Omeka, though the coding workshop has encouraged me to seriously consider creating a website to display my information. As I get further in the project and get more information I will be able to determine which medium would work best for my exhibit.