The United States Holocaust Museum:
The Experience of Public History In Person or Online
With the ever-growing array of multi-media platforms, social media, and digital scholarship, museums are in constant collaboration with digital tools and techniques. The US Holocaust Museum is one institution that has expanded its public outreach by creating an entirely interactive exhibition online and in person. Americans and the HolocaustĀ is a temporary exhibit within the museum that offers visitors a glimpse into how 1930-1940s Americans perceived the early Nazi party and German Jews. The argument of this exhibit is to push visitors to critically think about how the Nazi party was publicized in US print media. The purpose of this critical thinking is to allow the visitors to better understand America’s actions, or inaction, during the Holocaust years.
In many ways, the online exhibit is just as compelling and interactive as the in-person experience. Both offer captivating stories and interactional pictures and newspapers. The digital site can be found here: https://exhibitions.ushmm.org/americans-and-the-holocaust/mainĀ
This post, moreover, contains my comparative review of the online and in person exhibition. I offer summaries and critiques of both experiences, while also offering general comparative commentary.
Historic Site Comparison (Word)
Historic Site Comparison (PDF)