Fakes, frauds, and falsifications of artifacts and documents have been the bane of curators, collectors, art lovers, and dealers for millennia. So why should anthropologists study fakes? Fakes offer an ever-changing portrait of human desires and greed by providing a glimpse into the cultural values and perceptions of their makers and prospective consumers.
Calendar
10 am – Noon
1 – 3 pm
This course examines the intriguing photographs of the first extensively photographed American president. It traces the portraits of cameramen such as Matthew Brady, Alexander Gardner, Alexander Hesler, and Samuel Alschuler. We will investigate their photographs in relation to Lincoln’s enigmatic face and body as well as his biography and political career.
5:45 – 7:45 pm
Often oversimplified in popular perceptions, the Victorian period remains fascinating for its cultural achievements, social transformations, and political tensions.
5:45 – 7:45 pm
The famine is undoubtedly the most horrific and influential event in modern Irish history. Although the magnitude of the tragedy is overwhelming, it is important to seek to understand its long-term consequences. We will explore how the famine resulted in a number of changes for Ireland, the British Empire, and the world, including the Irish diaspora to America.
5:45 – 7:45 pm
Few people were both as influential and ignored as George F. Kennan, the American diplomat credited with originating the Cold War “containment” policy who later deplored how containment became an open-ended, militarized crusade.
10 am – Noon
Renowned through its dramatic use in Shakespeare’s history plays, the fifteenth-century dynastic conflict between the houses of Lancaster and York features compelling characters, reversals of allegiance, and decisive battles.