In a small
alcove of in the outer ring of the National Constitution Center Main Exhibition
sits a cathedral radio from the 1940’s. I’m not
sure if the radio is real or just a mock-up.
It sits on a mantle surrounded by black and white photos; possibly of
the couple’s marriage and their adult children.
The scene is meant to let visitors experience one of Franklin Delano
Roosevelt’s “Fireside Chats,” this one is from February 23, 1942. The “experience room” is situated between the displays of items from FDR's
administration (a Social Security card, the President's fedora, a Japanese
plane propeller) and those of his second Vice President and successor Harry S.
Truman (Truman's Hawaiian shirt). There is a transcript available for visitors
to read with text from several of FDR's broadcasts. There is also a small descriptive panel (on
the visitor's left hand side when looking at the mantle) that explains that the
visitor is listening to FDR's actual broadcast from February 23, 1942. 
The fireside chat display was constructed by
the NCC to allow the core audience of students to experience what it was like
to listen to the news via radio (Radio was "king" in the 1940's)
rather than getting their information from television or the internet. I
believe this was meant to be an immersive experience for the visitor, and
although I enjoyed it, I can see why other visitors might be confused or
"not get it." For example, if someone were to walk by and look in
without stepping close enough, he or she would only see a mock living room from
the early twentieth century without hearing Roosevelt's voice. Some visitors to
the NCC might walk past without even realizing this is part of the Main
Exhibition. (Other visitors might miss it because they are so overwhelmed by
the Main Exhibition or simply be more interested in the traditional artifacts
on display.)
A visit to the NCC is intended to be a
learning experience rather than a leisurely stroll past some artifacts. (This
is partial because so many exhibits are interactive and because the NCC only
has a small collection of artifacts that it owns.) The fireside chat experience
could be more fully developed. At this point, it looks like a replica. The lighting could be dimmed to make the room
look more comfortable and inviting. An artificial electric fireplace could also
be added to make the room look more realistic and warm (it should be
"fire-side" after all.) As
most Americans listened to Roosevelt in the evening while seated, a chair would
also be beneficial for visitors while adding to the experience. All of these items would help draw visitor
attention to this space. It would be a respite
for visitors from the sensory stimulation of the Main Exhibit. Currently, the
recording is of only one radio broadcast, however, to improve the visitor
experience and interaction visitors could chose what broadcast is played from a
list of options.
This exhibit gave me an idea for a lesson that
could be used by High School Social Studies and Language Arts teachers studying
WWII. First, students could write about or discuss the last news program they
watched on television. This would be followed by a close reading of one of
FDR's broadcasts (the broadcast that plays in the NCC when students visit). During a trip to the NCC, the students could
sit and listen to the broadcast as if they were in their living room in
1942. Students would write an essay
comparing and contrasting this experience with watching a news program on
television that evening. As a follow-up
activity, the next day after discussing the essays as a class, students would
then write a script from a news item (provided by the teacher) as if it were
being delivered over the radio and present these to the class.
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