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Go directly to the collection, History
of the American West, 1860-1920, in American Memory, or view a Summary
of Resources related to the collection. Photographs from History
of the American West can be used in a variety of creative writing projects.
Letter writing and newspaper reporting projects can easily be integrated
into the study of U.S. History topics to help build comprehension. Unusual
photographs can provide a starting point for historically informed short
stories, while pictures of National Parks can be used to learn image analysis
and
to create
a travel
brochure. Arts and humanities topics include:
Letter Writing and Historical Comprehension | Newspaper
Reporting and Historical Comprehension | Short
Story Writing | Nature
Photography and Image Analysis | Travel
Brochure
Letter Writing and Historical Comprehension
During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, photographs were
often converted into picture postcards. A search on postcard provides
over 500 examples, many of which relate to the major U.S.
History topics represented in the collection, such as agriculture, mining,
labor unions, and Native Americans.
Select a postcard on a historical topic and assume the persona
of an individual sending the postcard to a friend or family member. Compose
a short message explaining the subject. Use what you’ve learned about
the subject, the image’s bibliographic information, and any additional
research you may want to conduct. Think about who is represented in the postcard,
what they’re doing, where, when, and why. Search on
phrases such as Buffalo Bill postcard or gold mine postcard to
narrow your selection of images.
Letter Writing and Historical Comprehension | Newspaper
Reporting and Historical Comprehension | Short
Story Writing | Nature Photography
and Image Analysis | Travel Brochure
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