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Discovering History Through Tangible Objects

Explore history and museum curation through artworks, artifacts, and everyday objects in this Harvard course. Learn to analyze and interpret material culture.

Explore history and museum curation through artworks, artifacts, and everyday objects in this Harvard course. Learn to analyze and interpret material culture.

Embark on a fascinating journey through history with Harvard's "Tangible Things" course. This unique program offers an immersive exploration of material culture, museum studies, and historical interpretation. Delve into Harvard's vast collection of artifacts, from ancient relics to everyday objects, and learn how these tangible items shape our understanding of the past. Develop critical thinking skills as you examine the relationships between art, science, and culture across different eras and regions. Gain insights into curatorial practices and discover how objects tell stories that transcend academic boundaries. Whether you're interested in museum work, historical research, or simply curious about the world around you, this course provides a fresh perspective on how material objects connect us to history and each other. Through hands-on virtual experiences and expert guidance, you'll learn to see the extraordinary in the ordinary and uncover the hidden narratives within the things we touch and use every day.

4.7

(81 ratings)

1,01,179 already enrolled

English

اَلْعَرَبِيَّةُ, Deutsch, English, 8 more

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Discovering History Through Tangible Objects

This course includes

10 Weeks

Of Self-paced video lessons

Beginner Level

Completion Certificate

awarded on course completion

5,856

What you'll learn

  • Understand museum curation approaches and historical analysis techniques

  • Develop strong critical thinking and analytical skills

  • Explore how objects from different disciplines can inform each other

  • Learn how close examination of single objects can transcend academic boundaries

  • Discover relationships between art, science, economics, and culture through material objects

  • Gain insights into the work of historians, curators, and collectors

Skills you'll gain

Museum Curation
Historical Analysis
Critical Thinking
Material Culture
Artifact Interpretation
Interdisciplinary Studies
Collection Management
Cultural Preservation

This course includes:

PreRecorded video

Graded assignments, exams

Access on Mobile, Tablet, Desktop

Limited Access access

Shareable certificate

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Module Description

This course offers a comprehensive exploration of material culture and its significance in understanding history. Students will learn about museum curation, historical analysis, and interpretation through the study of diverse objects from Harvard's extensive collections. The curriculum covers the importance of tangible things in shaping academic disciplines and cultural boundaries. Participants will develop critical thinking skills and gain insights into the work of historians, curators, and collectors. The course emphasizes interdisciplinary connections, showing how objects can reveal relationships between art, science, economics, and culture across different parts of the world. Through virtual exploration of Harvard's collections, students will learn new ways of looking at, organizing, and interpreting tangible things in their own environment.

Fee Structure

Instructors

Pioneering Historian Revolutionizing Women's History and Material Culture Studies

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, 300th Anniversary University Professor Emerita at Harvard University, has transformed our understanding of early American women's lives and material culture through groundbreaking scholarship spanning five decades. After earning degrees from the University of Utah (BA, 1960), Simmons College (MA, 1971), and University of New Hampshire (PhD, 1980), she rose from teaching at a small New Hampshire college to become one of America's most influential historians. Her 1990 book "A Midwife's Tale" earned both the Pulitzer Prize and Bancroft Prize, while her casual observation that "well-behaved women seldom make history" evolved from a scholarly article into a cultural phenomenon. As James Duncan Phillips Professor of Early American History at Harvard (1995-2018), she pioneered innovative approaches to studying ordinary lives through material objects, exemplified in works like "The Age of Homespun" and "Good Wives." Her achievements include a MacArthur Fellowship (1992), membership in the American Philosophical Society (2003), and presidency of both the American Historical Association (2009) and Mormon History Association (2014). Through her scholarship examining diaries, household inventories, textiles, and other material artifacts, she has illuminated the previously hidden lives of early American women while mentoring generations of historians in new methodological approaches.

Sarah Carter
Sarah Carter

1 Course

Leading Material Culture Scholar Advancing Museum Studies and Design History

Sarah Anne Carter, Executive Director of the Center for Design and Material Culture and Associate Professor in Design Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has transformed understanding of material culture and museum studies. After earning multiple degrees from Harvard University, including a Ph.D. in American Studies, and an MA from the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture at the University of Delaware, she has built an influential career spanning academia and museum curation. Her groundbreaking book "Object Lessons: How Nineteenth-Century Americans Learned to Make Sense of the Material World" (Oxford, 2018) revolutionized understanding of material culture education. As former Curator and Director of Research at the Chipstone Foundation, she pioneered innovative exhibition approaches and directed the Think Tank Program supporting progressive curatorial practices. Her interdisciplinary scholarship explores museums, childhood, domestic interiors, and American social life, while her current work includes developing "Museum Feelings," examining the emotional history of American museums. Through her leadership at the Center for Design and Material Culture, she continues to shape understanding of material culture while mentoring the next generation of scholars and curators.

Discovering History Through Tangible Objects

This course includes

10 Weeks

Of Self-paced video lessons

Beginner Level

Completion Certificate

awarded on course completion

5,856

Testimonials

Testimonials and success stories are a testament to the quality of this program and its impact on your career and learning journey. Be the first to help others make an informed decision by sharing your review of the course.

4.7 course rating

81 ratings

Frequently asked questions

Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about this course. We aim to provide clear and concise answers to help you better understand the course content, structure, and any other relevant information. If you have any additional questions or if your question is not listed here, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team for further assistance.