Welcome Home

In Mariruth Leftwich's article, Welcome to My World, she discuses the personal sensory experience that a visitor has while visiting a historic "house museum." In this particular article, she uses the example of Graceland, home of the departed Elvis Presley. She goes into further detail about the power of these kinds of museums and their ability to evoke histories that the visitor can become immersed in with little effort. Due to the direct contact and physical elements and objects in the home, a visitor can walk through the museum and look past the fact that the home owner was in some way famous. The visitor may walk in the museum with expectations that there is something spectacular or unique about the home, but when push comes to shove, there are rooms, and each room is familiar on a physical level. Bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and porches are all emotionally relevant to most people as well. Places like these can spark memories or suggest imagination as to how the owner may have lived each day. On one level, this idea of entering someones home, looking at their personal objects, and walking down their halls seems a bit strange. On the other hand, this invasion of privacy, as one may see it, is the best way to truly understand that no matter what the social status, or time period, we are all living life.

After our visit to the Wylie house, I found myself thinking a lot about what the article meant to me. If the Wylie family was living in that home today, would I have just walked in? If they were not there and I came in the home, I doubt I would feel as comfortable just strolling into the bedroom, or looking off their front porch. I will admit that I walked in there with certain expectations, and left pleasantly surprised. Each room I walked into had a different feel to it. I could imagine Mrs. Wylie nursing her babies in her rocker in the parlor, I could see the little children writing at their desks with their feather pens, and I could look out the windows or off the porch and imagine the fields in the backdrop; no cars, no loud horns, no stoplights. Allowing myself to relax and experience the physical aspects of the place I was in gave me insight and understanding about someone else's life. I also have a greater appreciation for the Wylie family. It was also evident that objects played a major role in representation of history. If the home had been empty and there were no evidence that the home had been lived in, I would not have had the same experience. The objects make the home have a particular welcoming feeling. This also connects greatly to our object journey in class. Pretty amazing what objects can facilitate and create.

A Moment in TIme

According to Hirsch's "Place and Time," we carry cameras to capture the perfect picture. In many cases, the camera catches more than just the family in the photograph. This gives insight on how the family might live, what kind of furniture is present, or even layout of a home. Through various examples of family photos, Hirsch discusses how the background, or the place can actually become insignificant in comparison to the moment in time. Another idea he suggests is that when the background is blank or plain the people's faces, direction they are looking, hands being gestured, etc all reveal the emotion and bond of the individuals as a family. One of his last points is that the photo is not looked at for the place, because that place has had other moments and various emotions, but it is the moment in time at that very second the photo is taken, that really matters.
In my photo, seen below, you can see me, my son Leon, my boyfriend Stuart, and our dog Duke. Our family is small and is just beginning. Looking at the background, we are in the most common location of photographs taken, the living room. You can see the couch, the throw pillows, one of Leon's blankets, and his toy tucked in the left corner.Looking at the object alone, you can tell that our family has a small child. Looking at our expressions, the smiles are genuine, and our posture is relaxed and comfortable. Stuart is leaning on me, Leon is tucked between us, and I am holding his little hand while Stuart wraps Duke in a hold so he doesn't squirm away. But what happened in that moment in time? Right when the camera captured the moment we will have forever? What you don't see is what happened right before or right aster this was taken. Leon was looking at the camera, but in a split second right before the picture was taken he turned his head in distraction, Duke doing the same. Duke's head turning away shows how hard it has been for him to adjust to having a new baby in the home, and Leon's distraction comes from being in a new place, an undiscovered world. Stu and I look into the camera smiling at the thought of how happy we are to be together in a house as a family. The place means nothing without that moment in time, a moment worth remembering.

My little family.