Introduction

Two Friends
Two Friends
Stadtarchiv Dornbirn

More and more often historical photographs can be found in public spaces. A growing number of pictures are used in exhibitions, books and documentaries on historical topics. “Old” photographs are the raw material in advertising, for decorating hotels, restaurants, and business premises, and for design material. Currently we are experiencing a general “historicising”. Why this increased focus on a pictorial past? Digital storage media and the Internet have simplified access to historical photographs and made it easier to process them. The photographs seem to take us effortlessly into a bygone world, touch us and they trigger feelings in us. However, the only thing a photograph can offer is a manipulated view of a world that we do not or no longer understand. 

Task

Two Friends - reenacted
Two Friends - reenacted
Stadtarchiv Dornbirn

The task is to re-enact the setting of a historical photograph and to investigate, explore and understand the world of children at the end of the 19th century. Prepare a presentation to show your work as a team. The presentation should cover these topics:

  1. discuss your first impression of the historical photograph “Two Friends”.
  2. show your photographs and explain your experience as you reenacted c. present your research and your ‘make-up-stories’ d. discussion all the presentations in the plenum

Process

You should work in groups of three or four for this task. 1. Before you start, discuss your first impression of the historical photograph “Two Friends”. 2. Re-enact the posture of the photograph. Every group member should try out all three positions, those of the two boys as well as that of the photographer. Document the outcome with digital cameras or your smart phones. 3. Compare your impressions as actors and document them for the presentation 4. Use the background information, the web links and your own research in the web to get some general information to answer these questions a. describe the different roles of the two boys and the photographer b. give an impression of the live of poor and rich children in the industrial age c. try to imagine the rest of their lives 5. Create a presentation covering these questions

 

Conclusion

Evaluation depends on three parts: Re-enacting, Research and Presentation The aim is to make the make the participants able to work with visual media, be aware of visual concepts and know something about the It is intended that learners experience a new and creative way to deal with visual information in the form of historic photographs and learn learner to increase he/her knowledge about body language by re-enacting and his/her team working and communication skills by presenting skills by researching the internet and summarising information from different sources.

Evaluation

Learning Outcomes

  • The learner has experienced a new and creative way to deal with visual information in form of historic photographs and learned historical facts about childhood in the 19th century.
  • The learner has increased his/her knowledge about body language by reenacting and his/her team working and communication skills by presenting their results.
  • The learner has gained some computer skills by researching the internet and to summarise information from different sources.

Knowledge Acquired

  • Photographs are contructs
  • Basic knowledge of childhood in the 19th century
  • Know what re-enacting is

Skills Acquired

  • Collect information in the internet
  • Make a small presentation
  • Act before a small audience

Competences Acquired

  • Organise a small group to handle an assigned task.
  • Deliver a presentation with a small audience.
  • Organise a simple research.