GDG- RE: Electric Map

[Bernadette Atkins]

As caretaker of the Electric Map for nearly 9 years, I grew to love the old map. I walked across it, changed the lightbulbs, picked up the pennies, tic tacs and gum wrappers off of it, etc. Upon close inspection, it does look like a plaster school project, but from afar it was an effective learning tool. I remember times when the light bulbs would jump the spring and land under the floor in the NPS archival area. I would have to get permission to go underneath and poke the bulb back up. The underside of the map was a real trip,a marker was used to identify the sections and there were wires everywhere.( It was a great thing to do as I got to see lots of neat artifacts & visit with some of the NPS folks that I seldom got to see.)
The map held school kids, families, politicians and other famous people. In the Summer it was an oasis ..a break from the heat of the day, to cool off and rest your feet.
At one time, there was no prerecorded program. The associate would read a script and flick the switches, I could not imagine doing that ten or so times a day. I did it once and the sweat was pouring off of me.There is even a switch to run the Lincoln train path! I will miss the birds chirping in the ceiling every morning and the sound of 500 exhausted teenagers snoring through the program or people asking why Chamberlain was not mentioned.
I used to know the entire program by heart..."Welcome to Gettysburg National Military Park. You are located at the center of one of the most famous battlefields in the world... John Flynn's monotone, emotionless voice picked up at Pickett's Charge..."Fifty minutes...fifty minutes...and the greatest infantry charge in history, was history."
I hope the map finds a happy home one day...afterall, retro is quite popular these days. Nothing is simple anymore.
Cheers,
Bernadette