This Week’s Hidden Treasure: Library of Congress and the History Channel collaborate to showcase collection objects via online curator video
Lola Pyne, Library of Congress, USA
Geraldine Otremba, Library of Congress, USA
http://www.history.com/content/hiddentreasures
http://myloc.gov/curatormultimedia/hiddentreasures.aspx
In April 2008, the History Channel and the Library of Congress launched a cooperative agreement that was designed to broaden the national and international audiences for the more than 160 million items in the Library’s collections. The History Channel produced original broadcast programming featuring the Library’s collections ( "Stealing Lincoln’s Body") and also produced original programming to welcome visitors to the Library and its new exhibitions.
The Library, in turn, found opportunities to work with History to explore new avenues for reaching audiences, chief among them the on-line video series "This Week’s Hidden Treasure", launched in February 2009 as weekly explorations of the Library’s best-known (Gutenberg Bible) and less well-known rare items (the first drawing of Spider-Man).
During the year long Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial, the series featured four of the Library’s Lincoln treasures, including the Bible used at the inauguration of President Barack Obama and the contents of Lincoln’s pockets the night he was assassinated. "Hidden Treasures" takes the viewer into the Library’s splendid Main Reading Room, as well as to its Rare Book, Manuscript, Prints & Photographs, and Geography & Map Divisions. Ten curators – each with unique in-depth knowledge – share their keen knowledge and insight to showcase the Gettysburg Address, Harry Houdini’s scrapbook, the photograph of the first historic flight at Kitty Hawk, and Branch Rickey’s scouting notes about Jackie Robinson among other items.
The series debuted on History.com and is now featured on myLOC.gov. Viewers enjoy a close-up and personal view of treasures only rarely on display at the Library – as well as the chance to hear expert curators explain each of the items.
Demonstration: Demonstrations - 1 [Close Up]
Keywords: curator video, on-line video, media collaboration
