Date Thesis Awarded
5-2022
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Open Access
Degree Name
Bachelors of Arts (BA)
Department
Anthropology
Advisor
Danielle Moretti-Langholtz
Committee Members
Andrea Wright
Julie Richter
Abstract
Colonial Williamsburg is a living history museum in Virginia that hosts a large program interpreting and preserving eighteenth-century craft methods. Using ethnographic research methods, this paper evaluates the value of the historic trades program as a means of preserving otherwise lost skills, producing knowledge, and engaging the public in history. I argue that historic trades interpretation connects with audiences more than traditional exhibits, particularly highlighting specialized interpretation, on-the-job discoveries, representation of identity groups, and the ability to utilize online video platforms. Additionally, I address the divide between modern consumption and production, and how visitors can find historic trades that were once critical to everyday life to be novel.
Recommended Citation
Eure, Cecelia Rose, "From Necessity to Novelty: Historic Trades in Colonial Williamsburg" (2022). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1762.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1762
Included in
American Material Culture Commons, Museum Studies Commons, Oral History Commons, Social History Commons, United States History Commons
