Museum Curator Activity

          

                Our exhibit focused on some of the negative effects of the industrial revolution.  Since poverty and pollution seemed to be the main effects discussed, we created the title “The Industrial Revolution brings Poverty and Pollution”.  Each source which either related to poverty or pollution was different and had valuable information.  To make a successful exhibit all artifacts and information needs to be well understood and analyzed so the important information is summarized and presented through the exhibit.  It is important to understand the reason for the creation of the artifact/evidence and why the author has a certain opinion.  When analyzing, the information was read carefully and sourced.  If it was a picture, specific details and the overall meaning of the picture were analyzed.  The map at the top gives useful background information and served as a timeline for where and when different technology was invented.  The next two artifacts on the right are about the poverty.  The chart shows that the cost of living was almost always much greater than income.  The picture shows many poor children and families living in the streets.  On the left are artifacts showing pollution.  An illustration of the Thames River shows the air, water, and land pollution.  The letter below further describes the pollution of the Thames River due to the industrial revolution.  At the very bottom are two opposing opinions on the industrial revolution.  Important information on the artifacts are highlighted, the most important info goes from the top to bottom, and almost all the artifacts have brief captions.  Using these different tools to bring our exhibit to life we hope people see the effects of the industrial revolution on the city including not only the people, but the environment.

The other exhibits show the effects of the industrial revolution.  One exhibit focuses on the horrible treatment of children during the revolution.  Many children had to work long hours, performing dangerous jobs like pulling mine carts for low wages.  49.9% of children started working when they were under the age of 10.  Another exhibit shows the correlation between the use of slaves and the need for vast amounts of cotton.  Since lots of cotton was needed to make textiles in factories many slaves were used to harvest cotton, and the amount of slaves used during the revolution increased.  Many families, as shown by one exhibit were affected by the revolution and the new machines being used.  The cost of living for families increased and there was no longer a need for people to make cotton in their homes using a spinning wheel when the spinning jenny in factories was more effective.  Now one man’s weekly pay would be all a family had to live on.  New and improved transportation developed quickly during the revolution which was displayed by another exhibit.  Steamboats, railroads, and steam engines were being used to transport good made in factories quicker and easier than before.  The railroads were viewed as useful by many such as Samuel Smiles who thought “The iron rail proved a magicians’ road”¹ while others like William Wordsworth disagreed and thought the rails just disturbed the beauty of nature.  The many changes created by the industrial revolution had some positive, but mainly negative impacts on people living during that time.

¹ Debate on the Coming of the Railway, Wordsworth vs. Smiles.