Depending on the environment or space, the representation of a public history project may vary. Whether it is a physical or digital space, the same public history project will be interpreted differently. Also, the audience interacts with it differently when presented with various ways of engagement between the physical and digital sites. Each space is open for interpretations based on its rhetorical representation; it is constantly changing and transforming. For the comparative review of a physical and digital site, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas was selected.
The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame conveys the importance of recognizing the history and culture of cowgirls. The concept of the cowboy is a nostalgic and more commonly mentioned in American history. However, the concept of the cowgirl is almost forgotten or rarely mentioned in mainstream American history and culture. This museum demystifies the concept of the stand-alone cowboy and acknowledges the contributions of cowgirls. The outer space of the museum has two amazing statues placed in front of the museum. A bronze, life-size statue of a cowgirl with her horse stands on the left side of the museum. On the right side, there is a bronze, life-size statue of Sacagawea. Inside the museum, it has a circular design with a rotunda like ceiling. The environment is warm and inviting. It looks like a beautiful mansion with white floors and an impeccable interior design. There are two staircases on each side of the museum. The featured exhibit, “Pure Quills,” is on the far left corner of the first floor. The ongoing exhibit is on the right corner of the first floor and continues to the second floor. There is a video viewing room that is closest to the entrance door on the right; it features a short video of the museum’s collections and featured exhibit.
The audience for this museum varies. During my visit, I saw adult women and men touring the museum. This museum is also great for all ages and students.
The first floor of the museum features a circular layout. Because of the open and circular layout, visitors can start from different areas instead of one single flow of traffic. After viewing the video, the audience can enter the room next to it. On the right side of the wall, there is a bright red screen that asks the audience to touch the screen to begin. There are five different black and white photos of Annie Oakley, two Native Americans, a cowgirl march, Buffalo Bill, and an image of a cowgirl on a horse. After a photo is selected, the visitor steps into the brightly lit photo booth. After the photo is taken, a copy of the 3×5 photo is printed for free. There is also an option to send a digital photo via email or text. This activity is fun and interactive because it encourages visitors to learn more about the people and settings in the photos. If people were taking up too much time with the photo booth, the layout of the exhibit encourages the visitors to move to other locations in the exhibit that are also equally or more engaging such as the double-sided video screens hanging from the ceiling. Each side of the screen features videos taken during the time cowgirls were part of the Buffalo Bill Show.
The primary items that are used to communicate the interpretation of the museum are the collections of artifacts from well-known cowgirls such as Annie Oakley and Tad Lucas. These artifacts are displayed beautifully in separate glass cases for full 360 viewing. The circular navigation of the museum is very engaging and moves the visitors along. There are hologram videos that are built into the wall. It looks like a diorama that hangs on a wall, but in this case, it’s a digital diorama that speaks to the audience by looking directly at them during the speech. One of the dioramas features an image of Annie Oakley talking about teaching other females how to shoot rifles.
I did not see any docents or curators interacting with the public during my visit. However, the museum will provide a docent led tour for a group if scheduled ahead of time. The receptionist who was also the gift store representative was helpful. After I purchased my ticket, she handed a pink sticker and instructions.
The physical site of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is engaging and informative. This museum is a great treasure for the nation. I wish more people would visit the museum because I learned so much about the American West and history of cowgirls during my first visit. I hope to return soon with my friends and family. I would not change the physical exhibit because it is effective as is.
In addition to the physical site, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame also has a website. The “About” page includes a clear statement for the purpose of the museum: “The National National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame honors and celebrates women, past and present, whose lives exemplify the courage, resilience and independence that helped shape the American West, and fosters an appreciation of the ideals and spirit of self-reliance they inspire” (National Cowgirl Museum). From the featured images of cowgirls to the amazing logo, the design of the website clearly communicates its argument. The primary audience might be women because the website seems to show more images of women and their achievements. It also features a slideshow on its homepage of future events such as the artist Barabara Van Cleve’s “Pure Quill” exhibit, Cowgirl Spring Roundup, the luncheon for the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, and the Old Bags luncheon.
The website seems to target white/Caucasian women because most of the images in the homepage slideshow feature white women. It makes the assumption that the audience is mostly white women. However, if the audience takes a look at the honorees, there are also women of color who were inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame.
The layout of the website is easy to navigate and search. Each of the tabs has categories of interest. For example, the “Museum” tab has seven featured categories with sub-categories. There is an “Education” tab as well as the “Hall of Fame” tab. For the Hall of Fame, the audience can learn about each honoree and her achievements. There is also an image of the honoree. Similar to the physical site, the website allows the audience to begin their journey from different directions. There is no “Start Here” tab or page, which allows more freedom for the audience to navigate the website. Unfortunately, there is no Search area or button on the homepage to allow the audience to narrow their search.
The website offers brief information about the ongoing exhibits and featured exhibit. It also includes the “Hall of Fame” honorees information. The Education page features information for school tours, video conferencing, traveling trunk, and Girl Scout Patch Program. The Support page asks the audience to become members, to make donations, and to volunteer.
In contrast to the physical site, the website provides Education and Support opportunities that a physical site does not provide unless the audience request such information or reads the museum pamphlet. The featured artifacts in the digital space do not compare to the artifacts featured in the physical space. The images of the artifacts and photographs on the website do not have a title, description, or narrative.
For the audience interaction and engagement, the digital space allows the audience to search the list of honorees, view videos, and search the archives. However, the physical space allows more interaction and engagement with the audience. The website allows the audience to interact with the site’s creators and curators. By visiting the “Support” page and selecting “Volunteer, the audience may interact with different departments of the museum. This type of interaction is central to the sustainability of the museum because it engages the public and values their contributions.
For the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame website, there are a few things that can be changed to enhance the digital experience for the audience. They should add titles, descriptions, and narratives to the artifacts and photographs on the website. Instead of placing them all together on one web page like a collage, they should be categorized. Adding a search area on the home page would also be helpful. The social media platforms should not be placed at the bottom right-hand corner of the website. An interactive component to entice the audience to learn more about the museum and the history of cowgirls should be added to the home page. Adding another language such as Spanish would be great because the physical site acknowledges the cowgirls from the Hispanic culture. Adding a tab for cultural diversity in cowgirl history would be helpful to reach a wider audience. The physical site includes information and images of cowgirls from Native American and Hispanic American cultures. Despite these suggestions for changes to the digital space, the museum’s website presents the overall argument very well.
