Yes, you see
soldiers proceeding up a street, but notice that you are actually looking at
two images…..one from World War II and another from more contemporary times of
the same location.
A historical
mix…of sorts.
Think about
the impact this could have on students of history. Think about the connections that students
could make between historical content and their surroundings.
These
pictures are the work of historical expert Jo Teeuwisse from Amsterdam. This article from the Daily Mail states she
began superimposing images from different time periods of the same location
after finding 300 old negatives at a flea market in her home city depicting familiar
places in a very different context.Here is a second example of her work.......
Like Miss
Teeuwisse I think this process of making war scenes or any historical image
have meaning by linking it to a more familiar image heightens the impact. As
she states, “knowing the exact spot of some detail will etch it into your
visual memory.”
Teeuwisse’s
work isn’t just as simple as layering photographs, however. She researches daily life before and during
the war, interviews eye witnesses when she can and recreates certain aspects of
history to gain a unique insight into that area.
Isn’t that
something than any history teacher worth a grain of salt wants to do with their
students?
Of
course…..part of our job description is to help students gain unique insight
into the historical content we present to them.
Click
through to see the pictures presented with the Daily Mail article. Also visit the Ghosts of History Flicker page
and the Facebook page here.
I’m thinking
the process of superimposing images from various historical times …..The Civil
War, Civil Rights and not just World War II would be a valid project for
students with a little planning and guidance.
What do you
think?
I think that's a great idea. I'm just not sure of the technology involved.
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