A formal understanding of material has been debated among philosophers and scholars time and time again. JeeHee Hong writes that the word material originates from a meaning of a physical object. However, the meaning of the word has transitioned into one that encompasses more than just a physical being but an abstract idea or even an “aura.” Despite the arguments over what can be constituted a material, after viewing a couple of files from George P. Johnson’s collection, I have realized how important it is to have some materiality conserved to help future generations of people fully grasp important historical moments. These physical materials give people the opportunity to engage with actual pieces of history.
I looked at two different files in the George P. Johnson collection. One was an interview in a newspaper with actor Clarence Brooks, an actor that worked with George P Johnson’s company Lincoln Motion Company Productions. The interview was accompanied by his headshot. The background on race film provided by the Early African Film digital project was important because it gave me foundational knowledge of the topic we were exploring. However, viewing and handling a specific interview with an early African American actor put into perspective the large cultural impact these actors and their films had on the African American community.
The second file I viewed contained personal photographs and postcards of some sort. While I do not know who the photographs belonged to or why they were in the collection, it was still intriguing to get visual representations of the time period George P. Johnson lived in. It was also interesting that he decided to collect even these seemingly mundane photographs as even they had a special meaning to him.
The most important part of handling the physical materials to me was looking at all the dedication George P. Johnson had to documenting race film and early African American representation in the media. While reading his interviews, I could tell that he was incredibly proud of all that he had accomplished. His hard work is showed off by these 71 boxes of history and stand the test of time even after he has passed. The experience overall has also shown me how important materials (in this case, physical papers and photographs) are in explaining and conserving narratives. Johnson’s collection has preserved the early beginnings of race film, something that has shaped African American representation in media now.
I really liked how you pointed out the “dedication” George P. Johnson must have had to be so meticulous in documenting 71 boxes of information related to race film, even if some photos were “seemingly mundane”. It’s thought-provoking to contrast Johnson’s collecting with what the Conn reading mentioned, about the trend in the last century towards decreasing the materials showcased in museums, as a way to streamline the viewer’s experience. I think it’s interesting to note the difference between collecting more materials so that future scholars have more to study, but also wanting to display less in museums to avoid overwhelming general viewers.
I totally agree with your statement that memorabilia is imperative for future generations to grasp the true intentions of the person that the pieces belong to. I myself found a deeper connection to George P. Johnson and his need to keep lists and records. It somehow resonates much more intensely when you are actually looking at the same documentations that he wrote and kept for himself. It is awesome to think that he intended for us to be able to find these records and discover intimate meanings from them.
I agree with your comment that it is interesting to see what Johnson thought was important, even if to us, it is seemingly random or miscellaneous. Without knowing who took the photos in the collection, who they were of (since not all were labeled), or what Johnson’s intentions were in keeping them, it’s easy for a viewer to try and fill in the blanks for themselves. I wonder if this is something we need to take into consideration for our exhibit – is it our responsibility to display the objects/works in a way that do not easily confound the viewer, or is it beneficial for the viewer to create the questions for themselves?
I really enjoyed reading about how you mentioned that the preservation and existence of these materials are crucial to helping narrate the past and important moments from the past. I did not think much about this special aspect of the collection: to preserve moments in history for generations to read and learn about. I definitely felt the stronger connection by having these physical materials on hand. It paved way for a stronger personal understanding of Johnson’s life and world. After reflecting on your post, I feel that the collection we saw as a class served two critical functions: one, to show snapshots and create a common understanding of Johnson, his character and life, and two, to preserve special moments in history that we can learn and grow from.
I’m glad you mentioned the second file that you found that contained personal photographs and postcards collected by George P. Johnson during this time. I think that resources like these are just as important, if not more, than some of the other more manicured artefacts. In my opinion, candid personal photographs such as these exhibit a sort of untouched, unedited, uncensored history that can often tell a more genuine story than newspaper clippings and other quality-controlled items.
I agree with you that it was obvious from looking at the clippings that actors and films had a huge impact on the African American community. It seems like that conversation still takes place today with the under representation of black actors for grammy nominations. The newspaper clippings in Johnson’s collection were trying to show the different takes on this conversation about institutional racism. As you mentioned these boxes stand the test of time and are still relevant and show the evolution and legacy of this conversation.