Uncle Tom’s Cabin vs Statement of Protest
Firstly, it was hard to choose two objects; all of them were so interesting. However, for my blog post, I have selected Uncle Tom’s Cabin at my institute, Washington and Lee University, and A Statement of Protest from Davidson College. Additionally, Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a vase, so I wanted to compare it with the Georgia Club photo because I thought I would be able to compare and contrast different aspects of both photos. But then I found A Statement of Protest from Davidson College, and the content of this piece is thought-provoking and inspiring. Another important reason why I chose it is that I come from WLU, which is the top U.S. college with the greatest number of students in Greek life. Therefore, I wanted to explore the similarities and differences in fraternities such as Kappa Alpha and the Black Student Association in the two eras of 1981 and 2023.
Beginning with Uncle Tom’s Cabin is an amazing vase with Little Eva Hanging a Garland of Flowers around Uncle Tom’s Neck. Firstly, one thing that caught my eye is that the vase on the Washington and Lee Museum’s website doesn’t provide much information about the contributor, rights, format, or type of the identified object, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In contrast, Omeka provides a perfect description of the above-mentioned missing information. The best part of the chosen object is that I could see it in 3-D and examine each dimension and angle of the vase. Additionally, both websites allowed me to zoom in on the vase, which I found engaging. Last but not least, the description of the vase is fulfilling, and it even discusses the composition of the material required to make the vase. The vase itself is self-explanatory, and the author has done a great job of providing the history and significance behind it.
Now, turning to the Statement of Protest, which addresses The Black Student Coalition’s effort to ask the student body to join them in solidarity to end the “Old South” celebration, Each paragraph delves into the motivation and activism of the students in their fight against white racism. Unlike Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the Statement of Protest does not mention the format or rights of the document. All in all, Washington and Lee did a better job of providing comprehensive information about Uncle Tom’s Cabin. On the other hand, Omeka excelled in presenting the content of UTC and offered active affordances. Omeka provides more comprehensive details and a better understanding of the objects. Lastly, I have a question on How did the popularity and market value of artistic representations of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, such as the vase depicting Little Eva and Uncle Tom, contribute to the broader impact of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel on society and the abolition movement?
