GDG- Family to get credit for Civil War artifacts

[James Cameron]

<<  I think hanging the plaques in the research area is fine.  Establishing
the provenance of any artifact is important, and  that seems to be a good
way to do so. Plenty of information in the archives for anyone who wants
more details.

     As far as the place of the Rosensteels in the story or history, or
recent events, that is not the issue to determine this.    Historical
documentation is the only issue - and the plaques in the research room
works for me.

Take Care

Dennis  >>

Another consideration making that an appropriate location is that from what 
I've seen, the new facility is going to be less artifact intensive than the 
existing VC and museum.  The current facility has been, and still is, 
despite some updating of exhibits over the years, very heavily geared toward 
display of the Rosensteel collection, firearms in particular.  It is, as 
I've heard it decribed, very much a "curator's museum", heavy on display 
cases full of simply labeled and described items.  As I've said in the past, 
what it amounts to is a truly world class collection of CW firearms.  When 
you look at the long wall of muskets in the display case, it's a first class 
exhibit of the design evolution of CW inantry weapons.   But how much does a 
rifle musket labeled "Enfield rifle musket, Pattern 1853, cal. .577, made by 
Barnett, 1862" tell the visitor to the VC about the Battle of Gettysburg? 
Not a lot, even if a dozen of them all with different dates, makers, 
markings and minor parts differences may fascinate the arms collector.   The 
Rosensteel collection isn't going to be as dominant a part of the new VC 
museum, but more an element of a more comprehensive presentation.

Jim Cameron