I take your point, Jenny, to some extent, but cartoons and photographs 
can also be important social documents. You don't get a real idea of how 
people lived or worked or played without seeing an image.

Pam



Jenny Moran wrote:
>
> Whilst I appreciate the points made I do think that we get a bit to 
> hung up on the ‘accuracy’ angle. Lists like the one Angela is 
> compiling and even TV shows like Who Do You Think You Are can only act 
> as a hook to draw people in. Of course the reality is much more 
> complicated but the initial inspiration or ‘wow’ factor is the key to 
> attracting users and future professionals in the first place. Many 
> careers in palaeontology have been inspired by the diplodocus at the 
> Natural History Museum even though anyone working in the field will 
> say that’s not really what the work is about.
>
> There is a place for text – many old documents are visually 
> interesting and children and young people I’ve worked with are 
> fascinated by the handwriting itself. I’d also dispute the received 
> wisdom that audiences (especially younger ones) will only read short 
> extracts that do not need any deciphering. There have been comments 
> that GCSE history papers rely too heavily on cartoons and photographs 
> which don’t encourage pupils to develop comprehension skills.
>
> I’ll go before I launch into a full rant.
>
> Jenny
>
> Jenny Moran
>
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-- 
Sincerely

Pamela Cranston
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