“Collecting COVID-19 at the National Museum of American History,” Pandemic Perspectives: Stories Through Collections (virtual)

As a Smithsonian Affiliate, the Oklahoma History Center will offer a virtual portal to the Smithsonian program “Collecting COVID-19 at the National Museum of American History” on Tuesday, March 23, at 3 p.m.

COVID-19 has dramatically altered the United States, impacting almost every aspect of everyday life. For museums that document the history of their communities, collecting around COVID-19 has posed multiple challenges. Panelists will share their thoughts on the pandemic’s impact on communities and discuss how the National Museum of American History has approached documenting and collecting this seminal event.

This event is free, but preregistration is required. The program is part of a series of online talks from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The program will use the virtual platform to present historical objects in the national collections to lend perspective on the current pandemic. By virtually sharing artifacts, curators and historians will use them as a springboard for a lively discussion to explore how the past can help us better understand the present. The format will be a moderated dialogue among the panelists with the opportunity for the audience to pose additional questions.

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Moderator: 
Arthur Daemmrich, PhD, National Museum of American History

Panelists: 
Benjamin Filene, PhD, National Museum of American History
Alexandra Lord, PhD, National Museum of American History
Shannon Perich, National Museum of American History

Quarantine sign, 1923 (image courtesy of the Smithsonian).