PRM: Oral History

On Thursday, June 4, I made my way out to Sunnyland, an area between East Peoria and Washington, to meet with Ron Dupree. Mr. Dupree talked with me about the history of the Model T, including the different types, the assembly line, and the specs of the car. WE had a very fruitful conversation; I was able to record much of his discussion without having to prompt him for more information, so the recordings will be perfect as audio components in the exhibit. I took the next step yesterday by taking down notes on the recordings so I would know what information could be found where. It was a refresher for me as well, and I found myslef understanding what he was talking about when describing the specs of the car. I honestly never thought I'd know so much about the Model T!

I spent some of Thursday and yesterday writing out some labels as well. I've started writing about the history of Lizzie labels, and I'm finding it very difficult to condense so much information into approximately 250 words! I have so many fun things I want to share about the reason Lizzie labels came into vogue and what they meant to people, but I don't want to be too specific and lose the audience. I'll chat with Kristan about what I've already written and see if she has any advice.

Choosing photos for the exhibit seems to be an ongoing process. As I write, I'm discovering more and more pictures I can use to illustrate the story I'm trying to tell. The reverse is also true: as I get stuck writing, I find myself looking through the pictures more closely and finding the next line in the story. I'm discovering that I really love doing this type of research; delving into the primary sources is an invigorating process, and I love discovering new details every time I look at a picture. I hope the richness of this experience will carry over into the fall when I write my large seminar paper. My time here has made me more excited for that undertaking.