The General Meade Society of Philadelphia
Central Question:
Why do people join social societies?
Process:
For five months I documented the General Meade Society, a Civil War Society based in Philadelphia. The events I documented included monthly meetings, the Society's Awards Ceremony and the reenactment of a Civil War battle.
Designed Outcome:
- Me or Meade: Essays, interviews and questions inspired from five months as an embedded designer with the General Meade Society.
- Meade or Me: A complete transcription (with annotations) from the General Meade Society's monthly meeting on February 19, 2009.
- An interactive presentation on an 8x12 foot wall.
Takeaway Lessons:
- People join the Meade Society for a variety of reasons- many of them having nothing to do with the Civil War or General Meade.
- Annual events, a shared terminology and the ritual of eating are central to creating community within the Society.
- Reenacting the past offers insight into who can participate in contemporary culture.
Unintended Result
- I am now a member of the Meade Society.
For More Information:
Book 1: Me or Meade | Book 2: Meade or Me |Presentation Video | Flickr
