Saint Veronica's construction of the "face of the poor" in cloth can be seen as a vernacular expression of architecture when understood in the broader context of history and the complex dynamics of gender and power. It is essential to recognize that even non-architects can be agents of architecture, as there is always a plan or foundation, whether good or bad, that guides the construction process. Architecture is fundamentally about making a plan to build something, and Indigenous architecture can also be considered vernacular when situated within its historical and cultural context. However, there may be variations based on time, place, and space. Like a well-composed song, architecture that invokes a robust emotional response can also be considered vernacular. Saint Veronica's act of wiping the face of Jesus with cloth can be seen as a powerful vernacular expression of architecture, even if a trained architect did not do it. However, it is important to avoid misusing the concept of vernacular architecture by neglecting the importance of foundational plans and the broader understanding of architecture as a discipline. Frank Lloyd Wright, for example, understood the importance of these foundational principles and their relationship to vernacular expression.
Object-Centered
Of Purpose and Place at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 2021
ARCHITECTURE, LANDSCAPE, AND ARCHAEOLOGY
XK Bromley- November 11, 2021
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE) is a protected area that spans approximately 71,000 acres of natural habitat and boasts around 65 miles of lakeshore, roughly 35 miles connected to the mainland of Michigan. This region has a rich history dating back to prehistoric times, characterized by the retreating of glaciers and the formation of the Great Lakes, particularly the breathtaking Lake Michigan, which has been a hub of activity for generations of people. Groups of people have lived in seasonal camps along the lakeshore and Lake Michigan islands for centuries, as noted in the National Park Service SLBE Visitor Map from 2021. The Anishinaabe people, including the Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi, Mississaugas, Nipissing, and Algonquin peoples, are culturally connected to this region and have inhabited it long before the arrival of European settlers. Today, members of the Anishinaabe community still call this region home and maintain their connection to this special place in the Great Lakes State.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE) encompasses approximately 71,000 acres of natural habitat and 65 miles of lakeshore, 35 miles of which are connected to the mainland of Michigan. The area's prehistoric past involved glaciers retreating and the formation of the Great Lakes, including the stunning Lake Michigan, which allowed people to live and thrive in the region. The Anishinaabe people, including the Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi, Mississaugas, Nipissing, and Algonquin, have lived in seasonal camps along the lakeshore and Lake Michigan islands for centuries, and many still reside in the area today. The name "Michigan" itself comes from an Algonquian language still spoken by Anishinaabe people across the United States.
Today, SLBE is the largest public-owned historical agricultural landscape in the USA and includes the United States Life Saving Service Station (USLSS) in Glen Haven, Michigan. Created by Congress in 1871, the USLSS was responsible for rescuing numerous individuals from shipwrecks along the lakeshore before it merged with the United States Revenue Cutter Services to form the United States Coast Guard. The park also preserves found items and ready-mades, which are objects manufactured for purposes other than art that are transformed into artwork, much like the works of Marcel Duchamp in the early 20th century.
To redefine the approach to historical ready-mades, we will refer to them as "historical meshworks." This term encompasses a broader understanding of the objects beyond their symbolic significance, as traditionally done by archaeologists and historians. This approach is supported by various academic works (Ingold, 2021) (Cipolla & Gallo, 2021) (Nakamura, 2014) (Hicks, 2010) (Curtis, 2019) (Gans, 2008). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a manufactured object is a physical object that can be created by hand or machine (O.E.D., 2013). Meshworks are tangible things, interconnected structures, or networks created from a semilattice that maintains life's beauty. The term "semilattice" was introduced in Christopher Alexander's 1965 essay "A City is [Not] a Tree." This essay explains that all meshworks are a form of semilattice, which is a fundamental dimensional feature in objects that give them life (Alexander, 1968) (A city is not a tree, 2017) (OINKER.ME, 2015).
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE) encompasses approximately 71,000 acres of natural habitat and 65 miles of lakeshore, 35 miles of which are connected to the mainland of Michigan. The area's prehistoric past involved glaciers retreating and the formation of the Great Lakes, including the stunning Lake Michigan, which allowed people to live and thrive in the region. The Anishinaabe people, including the Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi, Mississaugas, Nipissing, and Algonquin, have lived in seasonal camps along the lakeshore and Lake Michigan islands for centuries, and many still reside in the area today. The name "Michigan" itself comes from an Algonquian language still spoken by Anishinaabe people across the United States.
Today, SLBE is the largest public-owned historical agricultural landscape in the USA and includes the United States Life Saving Service Station (USLSS) in Glen Haven, Michigan. Created by Congress in 1871, the USLSS was responsible for rescuing numerous individuals from shipwrecks along the lakeshore before it merged with the United States Revenue Cutter Services to form the United States Coast Guard. The park also preserves found items and ready-mades, which are objects manufactured for purposes other than art that are transformed into artwork, much like the works of Marcel Duchamp in the early 20th century.
To redefine the approach to historical ready-mades, we will refer to them as "historical meshworks." This term encompasses a broader understanding of the objects beyond their symbolic significance, as traditionally done by archaeologists and historians. This approach is supported by various academic works (Ingold, 2021) (Cipolla & Gallo, 2021) (Nakamura, 2014) (Hicks, 2010) (Curtis, 2019) (Gans, 2008). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a manufactured object is a physical object that can be created by hand or machine (O.E.D., 2013). Meshworks are tangible things, interconnected structures, or networks created from a semilattice that maintains life's beauty. The term "semilattice" was introduced in Christopher Alexander's 1965 essay "A City is [Not] a Tree." This essay explains that all meshworks are a form of semilattice, which is a fundamental dimensional feature in objects that give them life (Alexander, 1968) (A city is not a tree, 2017) (OINKER.ME, 2015).
Historical meshworks within the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) National Park Service (NPS) Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore (SLBE) Volunteers-In-Park (VIP) worksites can often be found on the ground's surface or in the atmosphere (Ingold, 2015 Part 2) (NPS SLBE Architect, 2021). These findings meet the requirements for an object-centered report on material culture (Miles, 2021). To ensure accessibility and exchange of information, the researcher follows the order of fields in the 'discovery' record form provided by the NPS SLBE Park Architect in May 2021. By doing so, entries can be easily added or expanded in various public databases and spreadsheets systems built for the National Park Service. When different items are part of the same object, creating individual records for each correspondence found allows for a more logical analysis of the whole (NPS ARPA Training, 2018) (NPS SLBE Park Architect, 2021) (Alexander, 2003).
The Volunteers-In-Park (VIP) program at SLBE provides an opportunity for communities to collaborate with the NPS to preserve and safeguard the lakeshore. The VIPs work on various sites based on the ongoing needs and planning for the park service. A group of volunteers, managed by the Park Architect and Volunteer Coordinator, meets on Fridays from May to October at different locations, and volunteers receive rewards, promotional merchandise, and park dollars based on the hours worked at the end of each season. Though most volunteers are retired and live in the surrounding area, in 2021, the age range of volunteers was between 5 and 83 years old. Historical meshworks found within the SLBE VIP worksites of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) National Park Service (NPS) can often be discovered on the ground or in the atmosphere. These rediscoveries fulfill the criteria for an object-centered report on material culture. To ensure the exchange and accessibility of information, the researcher follows the order of fields in the discovery record form provided by the NPS SLBE Park Architect in May 2021. The creation of individual records for each correspondence found, when different items are part of the same object, enables a more logical analysis of the whole and is consistent with best practices in the field (NPS ARPA Training, 2018) (NPS SLBE Park Architect, 2021) (Alexander, 2003).
The Volunteers-In-Park (VIP) program at SLBE provides an opportunity for communities to collaborate with the NPS to preserve and safeguard the lakeshore. The VIPs work on various sites based on the ongoing needs and planning for the park service. A group of volunteers, managed by the Park Architect and Volunteer Coordinator, meets on Fridays from May to October at different locations, and volunteers receive rewards, promotional merchandise, and park dollars based on the hours worked at the end of each season. Though most volunteers are retired and live in the surrounding area, in 2021, the age range of volunteers was between 5 and 83 years old. Historical meshworks found within the SLBE VIP worksites of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) National Park Service (NPS) can often be discovered on the ground or in the atmosphere. These rediscoveries fulfill the criteria for an object-centered report on material culture. To ensure the exchange and accessibility of information, the researcher follows the order of fields in the discovery record form provided by the NPS SLBE Park Architect in May 2021. The creation of individual records for each correspondence found, when different items are part of the same object, enables a more logical analysis of the whole and is consistent with best practices in the field (NPS ARPA Training, 2018) (NPS SLBE Park Architect, 2021) (Alexander, 2003).
During the summer of 2021, the Volunteers-In-Park (VIP) worksites for the Friday group at SLBE were diverse, ranging from tending the apple tree nursery at Kelderhouse Farm to rediscovering a wildflower garden and rebuilding a chicken coop at Lawr Farm. One of the projects that took multiple Fridays to complete was the long-awaited privy teardown and rebuild (CDC.GOV, 2021). Due to the ongoing pandemic, VIPs worked in smaller groups and always outdoors. Over eight separate Fridays from July to September, a small group of volunteers and park employees worked on the privy project, tearing down and restoring it. The VIP crew reused materials from SLBE's existing resources that matched the structures in Glen Haven, such as cedar shingles for the siding and red dipped cedar shingles for the roof.
The historic privy at its original site was rebuilt and completed in 2021, but the project had been in progress for several years prior. The former station and privy had been decommissioned in 1958 and were no longer in use before the establishment of NPS SLBE in 1970. Between decommissioning and the park's establishment, the privy was removed by neighbors and converted into a gardening shed. It remained in this capacity until 1998, and the park service was unaware of its whereabouts or that it was even missing.
The rebuilding of the historic privy, now used only for appearance, was finally completed in 2021 after years in the making. The privy had originally been decommissioned along with the former station in 1958, and it was no longer active by the time NPS SLBE was established in 1970. At some point between decommissioning and the park's establishment, neighbors had taken the privy and repurposed it as a gardening shed, a fact unknown to the park service. The shed was only discovered to be the missing privy structure when the neighbor's Use and Occupancy lease expired in 1998, and their property became part of SLBE. The outhouse was then moved and stored at the ballfield for several years until it was finally rebuilt in 2021 and returned to its original location.
During the summer of 2021, the VIP worksites for the Friday group at SLBE included a variety of projects, such as tending to the apple tree nursery at Kelderhouse Farm, rediscovering a wildflower garden, and rebuilding a chicken coop at Lawr Farm. One of the major projects that took several Fridays to complete was the long-awaited privy teardown and rebuild. Due to the ongoing pandemic, VIPs worked in smaller groups and always outdoors. The VIP crew utilized materials from SLBE's existing resources that matched the structures in Glen Haven, such as cedar shingles for the siding and red dipped cedar shingles for the roof.
The finished result of the privy rebuilding project was featured in the November 2021 issue of the U.S. Life-Saving Service Heritage Association newsletter and has been a long-awaited and exciting addition to the park.
The historic privy at its original site was rebuilt and completed in 2021, but the project had been in progress for several years prior. The former station and privy had been decommissioned in 1958 and were no longer in use before the establishment of NPS SLBE in 1970. Between decommissioning and the park's establishment, the privy was removed by neighbors and converted into a gardening shed. It remained in this capacity until 1998, and the park service was unaware of its whereabouts or that it was even missing.
The rebuilding of the historic privy, now used only for appearance, was finally completed in 2021 after years in the making. The privy had originally been decommissioned along with the former station in 1958, and it was no longer active by the time NPS SLBE was established in 1970. At some point between decommissioning and the park's establishment, neighbors had taken the privy and repurposed it as a gardening shed, a fact unknown to the park service. The shed was only discovered to be the missing privy structure when the neighbor's Use and Occupancy lease expired in 1998, and their property became part of SLBE. The outhouse was then moved and stored at the ballfield for several years until it was finally rebuilt in 2021 and returned to its original location.
During the summer of 2021, the VIP worksites for the Friday group at SLBE included a variety of projects, such as tending to the apple tree nursery at Kelderhouse Farm, rediscovering a wildflower garden, and rebuilding a chicken coop at Lawr Farm. One of the major projects that took several Fridays to complete was the long-awaited privy teardown and rebuild. Due to the ongoing pandemic, VIPs worked in smaller groups and always outdoors. The VIP crew utilized materials from SLBE's existing resources that matched the structures in Glen Haven, such as cedar shingles for the siding and red dipped cedar shingles for the roof.
The finished result of the privy rebuilding project was featured in the November 2021 issue of the U.S. Life-Saving Service Heritage Association newsletter and has been a long-awaited and exciting addition to the park.
Providing written or verbal descriptions and explanations of the process for [re]discovering historical meshworks is an important step towards conducting more comprehensive and holistic studies through sacred correspondence with the National Park Service (Ingold, 2021) (Miles, 2021). To properly attune a meshwork into its place, a team must be formed before and after its discovery to support ecological transitions that will affect its being. All meshworks, including their records, have already undergone environmental changes and will continue to do so in the future. Therefore, creating [re]discovery records is crucial to strengthen the continued lineage, heritage, and preservation of each meshwork found. These records will help document the current location and any relevant information about the meshworks, and as we advance, they can be easily accessed by researchers in a beautiful format (2021) (Alexander, 2003).
The records give the date and location of the finding, and any known provenance, which means to come or stem from; this is from the Latin provenire, pro- 'forth' + venire 'come,' for each meshwork according to the Oxford English Dictionary (O.E.D., 2013) (Markus, 2021). Provenance gives the chronology of the historical object's ownership, custody, or location as best known to the origin of the meshwork discovered to help understand what the meshwork is and what to do with each meshwork in the future (Miles, 2021) (Ulrich, Gaskell, et al., 2015). Additionally, shown on the forms are G.P.S. coordinates and, if needed, a topography map providing a corresponding Q.R. (Quick Response) code. Also fostered was an ongoing list of names and organizations the formulated a research team. The research team helps to increase the information about what each record carries. Each discovery record tells the principal researcher's name, who meets the Secretary of Interior's guidelines and standards as an applied anthropologist and N.P.S. Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) Archaeologist (NPS SLBE Park Architect, 2021) (NPS ARPA Training, 2018).
Being an applied anthropologist and NPS ARPA Archaeologist carries greater fieldwork responsibilities and professionally for several reasons. The researcher also serves as an extra NPS VIP safety officer, an additional preservationist on-site, and a photographer for the NPS SLBE VIP worksites. For now, the researcher's [re]discovery of meshwork is from the ground's surface or atmosphere at worksites (Ingold, 2011) (Ingold, 2015 Part 2) (NPS NAGPRA Committee Meetings, 2021). Such as a historical meshwork wooden panel finding just after the former United States Life-Saving Service (USLSS)/ United States Coast Guard (USCG) privy teardown in the summer of 2021 happened. The panel, located on the ground, was just in front of the teardown. But did the wooden meshwork come from inside the former privy?
The VIP worksite for the privy happened at what employees call the ballfield. The ballfield is part of the Empire Air Force Station. The station is a former non-operational United States Air Force Aerospace Defense Command (ADC) long-range radar site and is less than 1-mile south-southeast of Empire, Michigan, in the township of Empire. Closed in 1978 by the Air Force, the station went to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Currently, the site is part of the Joint Surveillance System (JSS), designated by NORAD as Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) Ground Equipment Facility and also partly maintained by NPS SLBE National Lakeshore (NPS SLBE Park Architect, 2021).
The worksite being on a former ballfield allowed for plenty of room. After the former privy fell, the removal of the roof happened. Again, the teardown was part of the NPS SLBE Building and Utilities restoration process to rebuild a new privy with help from VIPs that took place in the weeks that followed the teardown. The meshwork appeared on the ground directly in front of the teardown. It was noticed and picked up shortly after by the safety officer/researcher on-site, whose duties include removing miscellaneous debris from pathways to support safety concerns. After a brief inspection of the found meshwork, the researcher took it to the NPS SLBE park architect. It was pretty looking and historical, maybe 1930s, but where did the meshwork come from- inside the roof of the former privy, maybe? (Ulrich, Gaskell, et al., 2015) (Miles, 2021) (NPS SLBE Park Architect, 2021) (NPS NAGPRA Committee Meeting, 2021) (NPS ARPA Training, 2018) (NPS NEPA Overview, 2018)
Let's take a closer look at the photo series below taken the day of the teardown when the building fell and directly after at the VIP worksite. How did the wooden panel appear out of nowhere on the ground at the worksite? And what do NPS VIP work crews do with a meshwork that seems to be historical but does not know from where? As careful preservation of records shows, the historical meshwork wooden panel found on the VIP worksite did not come from the privy tear down as the NPS VIP work crew initially thought. The wooden board came from inside the tool trailer at the VIP worksite. Found two months later holding miscellaneous nuts and bolts in what remained of itself (a cigar box repurposed into a storage container for the tool trailer) was the second part belonging to the first historical meshwork. The simple example supports why preservation practices on worksites are still of great use for more excellent knowledge of purpose and place to happen (Ulrich, Gaskell, et al., 2015) (Miles, 2021) (NPS SLBE Park Architect, 2021) (NPS NAGPRA Committee Meetings, 2021) (NPS ARPA Training, 2018).
The records give the date and location of the finding, and any known provenance, which means to come or stem from; this is from the Latin provenire, pro- 'forth' + venire 'come,' for each meshwork according to the Oxford English Dictionary (O.E.D., 2013) (Markus, 2021). Provenance gives the chronology of the historical object's ownership, custody, or location as best known to the origin of the meshwork discovered to help understand what the meshwork is and what to do with each meshwork in the future (Miles, 2021) (Ulrich, Gaskell, et al., 2015). Additionally, shown on the forms are G.P.S. coordinates and, if needed, a topography map providing a corresponding Q.R. (Quick Response) code. Also fostered was an ongoing list of names and organizations the formulated a research team. The research team helps to increase the information about what each record carries. Each discovery record tells the principal researcher's name, who meets the Secretary of Interior's guidelines and standards as an applied anthropologist and N.P.S. Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) Archaeologist (NPS SLBE Park Architect, 2021) (NPS ARPA Training, 2018).
Being an applied anthropologist and NPS ARPA Archaeologist carries greater fieldwork responsibilities and professionally for several reasons. The researcher also serves as an extra NPS VIP safety officer, an additional preservationist on-site, and a photographer for the NPS SLBE VIP worksites. For now, the researcher's [re]discovery of meshwork is from the ground's surface or atmosphere at worksites (Ingold, 2011) (Ingold, 2015 Part 2) (NPS NAGPRA Committee Meetings, 2021). Such as a historical meshwork wooden panel finding just after the former United States Life-Saving Service (USLSS)/ United States Coast Guard (USCG) privy teardown in the summer of 2021 happened. The panel, located on the ground, was just in front of the teardown. But did the wooden meshwork come from inside the former privy?
The VIP worksite for the privy happened at what employees call the ballfield. The ballfield is part of the Empire Air Force Station. The station is a former non-operational United States Air Force Aerospace Defense Command (ADC) long-range radar site and is less than 1-mile south-southeast of Empire, Michigan, in the township of Empire. Closed in 1978 by the Air Force, the station went to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Currently, the site is part of the Joint Surveillance System (JSS), designated by NORAD as Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) Ground Equipment Facility and also partly maintained by NPS SLBE National Lakeshore (NPS SLBE Park Architect, 2021).
The worksite being on a former ballfield allowed for plenty of room. After the former privy fell, the removal of the roof happened. Again, the teardown was part of the NPS SLBE Building and Utilities restoration process to rebuild a new privy with help from VIPs that took place in the weeks that followed the teardown. The meshwork appeared on the ground directly in front of the teardown. It was noticed and picked up shortly after by the safety officer/researcher on-site, whose duties include removing miscellaneous debris from pathways to support safety concerns. After a brief inspection of the found meshwork, the researcher took it to the NPS SLBE park architect. It was pretty looking and historical, maybe 1930s, but where did the meshwork come from- inside the roof of the former privy, maybe? (Ulrich, Gaskell, et al., 2015) (Miles, 2021) (NPS SLBE Park Architect, 2021) (NPS NAGPRA Committee Meeting, 2021) (NPS ARPA Training, 2018) (NPS NEPA Overview, 2018)
Let's take a closer look at the photo series below taken the day of the teardown when the building fell and directly after at the VIP worksite. How did the wooden panel appear out of nowhere on the ground at the worksite? And what do NPS VIP work crews do with a meshwork that seems to be historical but does not know from where? As careful preservation of records shows, the historical meshwork wooden panel found on the VIP worksite did not come from the privy tear down as the NPS VIP work crew initially thought. The wooden board came from inside the tool trailer at the VIP worksite. Found two months later holding miscellaneous nuts and bolts in what remained of itself (a cigar box repurposed into a storage container for the tool trailer) was the second part belonging to the first historical meshwork. The simple example supports why preservation practices on worksites are still of great use for more excellent knowledge of purpose and place to happen (Ulrich, Gaskell, et al., 2015) (Miles, 2021) (NPS SLBE Park Architect, 2021) (NPS NAGPRA Committee Meetings, 2021) (NPS ARPA Training, 2018).
Series of photos of NPS SLBE Building and Utilities Restoration Process- Former Privy Teardown at VIP Worksite, 2021
Please Note: Unless changes happen that the finding at a worksite requires a recovery of material life from underground, the earth is not disturbed. There are no excavations taking place on VIP worksite(s) at this time for any [re]discoveries (NPS SLBE Park Architect, 2021) (NPS ARPA Training, 2018) (NPS NEPA Overview Training, 2018) (NPS NAGPRA Committee Meetings, 2021).
Maintained in separate photo logs are photographed objects by the researcher for the Park. Documented on discovery records if photos are necessary are the numbers from the different photo logs. A photo log stores the data of a series of photographs taken and goes in the following order: First, if possible, an overview photo of the meshwork's front and the back is stored—next, a photo ¾ view of the meshwork. Finally, any additional detail photos of the meshwork(s) help demonstrate greater complexity. The discovery record indicates if the thing is a 'building,' 'structure,' 'machinery,' 'landscape feature,' or 'other.' If marked as 'other' on the NPS discovery form, the researcher is requested to describe the item found. An example of such documentation for a discovery record should be similar to the concise discovery record 1111a 2021_0716 as seen here below the photo logs, which reads: Thin dimensional wooden panel found on the ground at the worksite (NPS SLBE Park Architect, 2021) (Ulrich, Gaskell, et al., 2015) (Miles, 2021).
The records continue to tell how the object might have first communicated when its elements' complexity was composed or preferably (or not) fabricated into a known or unknown construction (Ingold, 2021) (Ingold, 2011) (Alexander, 1965) (Alexander, 2003) (Prown, 2000). The approximate measurements or dimensions of only the actual found object's length, width, height, and depth are part of the record—any marker, designer, additional locations, if known, are also recorded—a field for materials and year of make may be additionally given. If unknown, the researcher can write any educated guesses w/ a question mark. The researcher should also suggest other associations about the meshwork, such as a family, plant origin, and any interwoven cultural influences or patterns (Miles, 2021) (Ulrich, 2000) (Ulrich, Gaskell, et al., 2015). Any field on a discovery record still unresolved from the rediscovery should remain open for further entry if needed. Doing so reminds us that, as forensics teaches, an absence of evidence is not evidence of absence (McDermid, 2015) (Prown, 1980) (NPS SLBE Park Architect, 2021) (NPS NAGPRA Committee Meetings, 2021) (NPS ARPA Training, 2018) (NPS NEPA Overview Training, 2018).
Lack of evidence can be beneficial and be a call to search for more information (McDermid, 2015) (Lubar, Rieppel, et al., 2017). A call from the Latin vocare 'to call'/name is why anthropologists try to find the origin of the purpose and place of things to name them (O.E.D., 2013) (Ingold, 2011) (Ingold, 2015). It is to know what something is to, has been, or might become. People have known this, but others might not know. Still, sometimes others forget or get it in the wrong order. But to call/name from source is why the Secretary of Interior set the guidelines and standards and why it is crucial to meet these guidelines and standards for heritage work done by the Park Service, specifically for and by anthropologists doing the work. It carries a tremendous responsibility because the Park becomes responsible for how and why things are named.
At some point, all Anthropos (human beings) were elements just as the meshworks are or have been. Therefore, if quantum theory is correct, human and material culture is fractal. They possess a sameness not to be confused with oneness (Ingold, 2021) (MGE Movement, 2021). Both materials and cultures have maintained patterns of likeness from the universe at some time in the continuum. People have labeled these patterns material intelligence (Adamson, 2021) (Adamson, 2018) (Conn, 2000) but could it be architecture, the song for a good life of inspiration, expiration, and respiration, that supports not just the mind but also, maybe, more importantly, the heart? (SAVYASAACHI, 2021) (MGE Movement, 2021) (Alexander, 2003)
With participant observation (PO) as the preferred method anthropologists use to find out what to call something, it is essential to remember it is a vocation to do heritage work. Heritage fundamentally is, as anthropologists call it, "an ontological commitment" (Ingold, 2021) and notwithstanding awareness of the 8th wave of colonization in the Americas on 'heritage' and all that the term carries (Baird, 2017) (M.G.E. Movement, 2021). The commitment is part of a not so pretty lineage of pseudo-scientists not meeting the guidelines and standards and not doing it right a lot of the time. But anthropologists should continue to try and pass on knowledge the best they can to the past, now, and following generations. Ultimately, the responsibility is not often taken lightly by Park Service or other federal agencies, nor should it be taken lightly (2021) (NPS NEPA Overview Training, 2018) (NPS ARPA Training, 2018) (NPS NAGPRA Committee Meetings, 2021).
So how one interprets human beings and material culture does vary but is interwoven and remains continuous. And in humility and with all politeness, it should be said that anyone not approaching the work of anthropology without some awareness of the fractal nature towards all matter is simply doing it wrong (Ingold, 2021). With participant observation (PO), there is a non-separateness (again, not to be confused as 'oneness') from that observed. The anthropologist is part of the method, and her job is to really listen to the song and, when she can, echo the memory back to anyone else also willing to hear it or needing to be reminded. The technique of the PO method should be at the heart of teaching material culture and the work it manifests, including in the study of industrial heritage and archaeology (IH&A). (2021) (MGE Movement, 2021)
PO is not merely ethnography, but PO is in itself both practice and praxis. Such as with discovery records using PO, listening, recording, and communicating (singing even) back the recording into the atmosphere for another becomes a collective effort. It is making a tracing, arguably the most important of all forms, of correspondence (Ingold, 2011) (Ingold, 2015 Part 2) or what Art is (Prown, 1982) (Prown, 2001) (Ulrich, 2001) (Pennell, 2017). Tracing correspondence is what human beings do, sometimes better than other times. It is not the Anthropology of Art (Glassie, 1999) because the lineage, like material intelligence, would be backward. Instead, when considering relations (and not just the self), thought and applied is the Art of Anthropos. (Ulrich, 2001) (Ingold, 2011) (Ingold, 2015 Part 2) (Ingold, 2021) (Prown, 2001) (Miles, 2015) (Lubar Rieppel et al., 2017) (Prown & Haltman, 2000).
At some point, all Anthropos (human beings) were elements just as the meshworks are or have been. Therefore, if quantum theory is correct, human and material culture is fractal. They possess a sameness not to be confused with oneness (Ingold, 2021) (MGE Movement, 2021). Both materials and cultures have maintained patterns of likeness from the universe at some time in the continuum. People have labeled these patterns material intelligence (Adamson, 2021) (Adamson, 2018) (Conn, 2000) but could it be architecture, the song for a good life of inspiration, expiration, and respiration, that supports not just the mind but also, maybe, more importantly, the heart? (SAVYASAACHI, 2021) (MGE Movement, 2021) (Alexander, 2003)
With participant observation (PO) as the preferred method anthropologists use to find out what to call something, it is essential to remember it is a vocation to do heritage work. Heritage fundamentally is, as anthropologists call it, "an ontological commitment" (Ingold, 2021) and notwithstanding awareness of the 8th wave of colonization in the Americas on 'heritage' and all that the term carries (Baird, 2017) (M.G.E. Movement, 2021). The commitment is part of a not so pretty lineage of pseudo-scientists not meeting the guidelines and standards and not doing it right a lot of the time. But anthropologists should continue to try and pass on knowledge the best they can to the past, now, and following generations. Ultimately, the responsibility is not often taken lightly by Park Service or other federal agencies, nor should it be taken lightly (2021) (NPS NEPA Overview Training, 2018) (NPS ARPA Training, 2018) (NPS NAGPRA Committee Meetings, 2021).
So how one interprets human beings and material culture does vary but is interwoven and remains continuous. And in humility and with all politeness, it should be said that anyone not approaching the work of anthropology without some awareness of the fractal nature towards all matter is simply doing it wrong (Ingold, 2021). With participant observation (PO), there is a non-separateness (again, not to be confused as 'oneness') from that observed. The anthropologist is part of the method, and her job is to really listen to the song and, when she can, echo the memory back to anyone else also willing to hear it or needing to be reminded. The technique of the PO method should be at the heart of teaching material culture and the work it manifests, including in the study of industrial heritage and archaeology (IH&A). (2021) (MGE Movement, 2021)
PO is not merely ethnography, but PO is in itself both practice and praxis. Such as with discovery records using PO, listening, recording, and communicating (singing even) back the recording into the atmosphere for another becomes a collective effort. It is making a tracing, arguably the most important of all forms, of correspondence (Ingold, 2011) (Ingold, 2015 Part 2) or what Art is (Prown, 1982) (Prown, 2001) (Ulrich, 2001) (Pennell, 2017). Tracing correspondence is what human beings do, sometimes better than other times. It is not the Anthropology of Art (Glassie, 1999) because the lineage, like material intelligence, would be backward. Instead, when considering relations (and not just the self), thought and applied is the Art of Anthropos. (Ulrich, 2001) (Ingold, 2011) (Ingold, 2015 Part 2) (Ingold, 2021) (Prown, 2001) (Miles, 2015) (Lubar Rieppel et al., 2017) (Prown & Haltman, 2000).
Various Examples of Tracing Correspondence
With all of that said, let's return to look at the meshwork(s) found with the discovery records to logically unfold an analysis from the two discovery records for one object and summarize the findings from the meshworks. After, the two parts from one may continue to move together or apart, as shown from studying and trying to trace and name lineage (Ingold, 2015 Part 5) (Ingold, 2011) (Ingold, 2021) (Cipolla & Gallo, 2021.). The analysis summary includes a first-person narrative told by the researcher of her findings of what is known and unknown about the object thru comparative analysis of researched images, various composites, and any more details needed to explain different parts of the meshworks found (Miles, 2021). The summary also describes why for fun, the NPS SLBE Park Architect and VIP Friday work crew building the privy choose to house the meshwork(s) in the newly built privy to gift it back to the park, just like the privy was, as art instead of throwing it away. (Senos, Lake, et al., 2006) (Daehnke, 2019)(Lubar, Rieppel, et al. 2017) (Miles, 2015) (DIRT, 2021)
Summary of Analysis
Told by XK Bromley Applied Anthropologist FORENSICS DHS, FEMA EHP, NPS ARPA Archaeologist
Told by XK Bromley Applied Anthropologist FORENSICS DHS, FEMA EHP, NPS ARPA Archaeologist
Worksite and Findings
"Found at what park employees refer to as the ballfield that was the VIP worksite for rebuilding the USLSS privy in the summer of 2021 were two historical meshworks belonging to the same object, a former cigar box. The meshworks are two from one thing at one point, yet the meshworks still miss another- its cover. Manufactured initially, the two in one object was as six-sided wood (preferably cedar), fourteen nails, and one muslin strip hinging the top (missing) nailed wooden (NW) box to hold cigars. Of the fourteen nails, four went in each end and six in the bottom. The muslin was glued onto the NW box's top and back as shown in the complete NW box below, called an overall vs. an insert lid design. "
"Found at what park employees refer to as the ballfield that was the VIP worksite for rebuilding the USLSS privy in the summer of 2021 were two historical meshworks belonging to the same object, a former cigar box. The meshworks are two from one thing at one point, yet the meshworks still miss another- its cover. Manufactured initially, the two in one object was as six-sided wood (preferably cedar), fourteen nails, and one muslin strip hinging the top (missing) nailed wooden (NW) box to hold cigars. Of the fourteen nails, four went in each end and six in the bottom. The muslin was glued onto the NW box's top and back as shown in the complete NW box below, called an overall vs. an insert lid design. "
"On Friday, July 16, 2021, found was the first meshwork at the privy project started teardown the former privy and rebuilding on the old privy existing frame. I, as a safety officer, found the first meshwork. After the privy teardown, I was picking up miscellaneous scraps and debris from off the ground. The first meshwork was found directly in front of the former privy's location. Various volunteers came in and out of the tool trailer as I picked it up. The tool trailer was in the North-East direction from where the meshwork pick-up happened. The meshworks looked historic, but there was no evidence as to where and why the meshwork appeared.
The first meshwork was taken directly to the NPS SLBE Park Architect to assess what to do with it. The meshwork was unknown, so we didn't want to throw it away because of several factors, including aesthetics until we could determine more. I photographed and documented the meshwork to try and find out more about it. After, it was preserved by the NPS SLBE Park Architect instead of discarding it. The first meshwork stayed with the privy project to install it into the new privy. Therefore, based on the known and the unknown at the time, I think it was the correct choice for this case."
The first meshwork was taken directly to the NPS SLBE Park Architect to assess what to do with it. The meshwork was unknown, so we didn't want to throw it away because of several factors, including aesthetics until we could determine more. I photographed and documented the meshwork to try and find out more about it. After, it was preserved by the NPS SLBE Park Architect instead of discarding it. The first meshwork stayed with the privy project to install it into the new privy. Therefore, based on the known and the unknown at the time, I think it was the correct choice for this case."
Frontmark and Other Identifying Tags found on First Meshwork
"The front piece of the NW box had a frontmark stenciled onto the wood. The tag reads M O N T E R E Y S with the numbers 1 0 0 below it. The frontmark usually tells the name of the cigar brand. The numbers that follow the brand name indicate the number of cigars the original box would have carried. I have not been able to find M O N T E R E Y S as a brand name at this time. See the fade of an 'S' on the end of M O N T E R E Y S- I assume that Montereys is what it means to read and isn't a mistake and missing an 'R' in stenciling the letters on the wood. Hoyo de Monterrey Cigars (with two RRs in Monterrey) is a famous Cuban brand but is not how the panel reads. If it didn't have the 'S,' I might think differently. The number 100 appears to be correct as to how many cigars the box could have held."
"The backside of the first meshwork tells more information. On the side, one can see marks left from nails on both ends that would have held the box together. Glued to paper glued to the wood panel is the edging tape that borders along the top of the meshwork. Edging design of the edging looks inspired by embroidery. The edging color is red, green, and what appears to be gold leaf.
The meshwork is water-damaged, and the microbes and mold on the meshwork will use the cellulose in the paper as a food source. It is a natural process with organic materials. The mold will continue to eat away at its food source, and the rate depends on environmental factors. Like a lot of stuff, paper is temporary, especially compared to deep time. The effect of the damage can be aesthetically pleasing, though, and doesn't always have to be a knee-jerk throw-away response."
The meshwork is water-damaged, and the microbes and mold on the meshwork will use the cellulose in the paper as a food source. It is a natural process with organic materials. The mold will continue to eat away at its food source, and the rate depends on environmental factors. Like a lot of stuff, paper is temporary, especially compared to deep time. The effect of the damage can be aesthetically pleasing, though, and doesn't always have to be a knee-jerk throw-away response."
The Second Meshwork of Object found by VIPs in Tool Trailer Provides More Information
"The second meshwork was found by VIP at the worksite on Sept. 17, 2021. I was not at the worksite would the second meshwork was found. I would told that it was found when VIPs were cleaning up the tool trailer that sat NE to the privy during the build. No Top Cover was found. Much more information was able to be learned about the meshworks by finding the second.
Found by VIP at the worksite on Sept. 17, 2021, was the second meshwork. I was not at the worksite when the second meshwork was found. Informed it surfaced but not on the surface when the VIPs cleaned up the tool trailer that sat NE to the privy during the build. The remains of the box it was told to me still contained nuts and bolts in the tool trailer, yet I did not witness. When I arrived on the worksite that day, VIPs had already cleared the contents.
After cleaning the tool trailer, the VIPs didn't locate the Top Cover. Much more information was able to be learned about the meshworks by finding the second. Several tags and marks remained on the meshworks, which was formally a cigar box. These include the signature of Flor Fina on side A. Flor Fina is a rolling style of cigars. On Side B appears to have had a tax stamp or some other type of adhered media.
On the back, the remainder of the muslin strip. Also, C L A R O is tagged. It is the color of the leaf rolled. Mark C L A R O indicated that the leaf would have been a light brown or tan. On the bottom is a District No. stamp whose number is not able to be read. And also, what appears is small amounts of cursive English words that once were adhered labeled. Please review evidence photos."
Found by VIP at the worksite on Sept. 17, 2021, was the second meshwork. I was not at the worksite when the second meshwork was found. Informed it surfaced but not on the surface when the VIPs cleaned up the tool trailer that sat NE to the privy during the build. The remains of the box it was told to me still contained nuts and bolts in the tool trailer, yet I did not witness. When I arrived on the worksite that day, VIPs had already cleared the contents.
After cleaning the tool trailer, the VIPs didn't locate the Top Cover. Much more information was able to be learned about the meshworks by finding the second. Several tags and marks remained on the meshworks, which was formally a cigar box. These include the signature of Flor Fina on side A. Flor Fina is a rolling style of cigars. On Side B appears to have had a tax stamp or some other type of adhered media.
On the back, the remainder of the muslin strip. Also, C L A R O is tagged. It is the color of the leaf rolled. Mark C L A R O indicated that the leaf would have been a light brown or tan. On the bottom is a District No. stamp whose number is not able to be read. And also, what appears is small amounts of cursive English words that once were adhered labeled. Please review evidence photos."
Deciphering Label Yet Not Enough Remains to Know Which One plus Wood might be from Toona Calantas
"The bottom of the second meshwork had a tag. After weeks of studying only the above photo, I could decipher Hand on the top line of text. From that, I found the Official Inspection Label from an internet search in google of labels, cigar boxes, labels, Hand-made. After thousands of images, I found one that appeared to match Hand and additional text on the following rows below Hand. In photoshop, I layered the label onto the photograph. After minor scaling adjustment, I had a match, at least to what remained on the box."
"The five rows of text on the label I was able to match to the tag included (1) Hand-, (2) cigars by Cleanly, (3) in a Sanitary, (4) Sound Philippine, (5) the Cagayan. After reading the rest of the label, I understood the cigars the box once held were from the Philippines, Cagayan Valley region. The inspection label I initially used was for long-filler cigars as the text on the Official Inspection Label is different for Manila Cigars. Yet, after consulting with a research team member about my findings, two various labels, commonwealth vs. islands, from different historical periods emerged. If a commonwealth, the period for the box would be for the time the commonwealth existed, 1935 to 1946 minus exile during the Second World War from 1942 to 1945 when Japan occupied the country. Unfortunately, not enough of the label remains on the box bottom to know at this time but quite fascinating."
"Cigar boxes are often thought to be made of cedar due to its amorua and pest management capabilities. It the wood for box was sourced from the same location [the Philippines] of the tobacco grown for the cigars, which it held the wood is from Toona Calantas. Toona Calantas is a tree in the mahogany family found in the Philippines. Currently, Toona Calantas is considered endangered due to habitat loss. It is also call kalantas, lanipga, ample, bantinan, danupra, Philippine cedar, or Philippine mahogany. The name Philippine mahogany also applies to members of an unrelated genus called Shorea.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has categorized Calantas/Kalantas as Data Deficient. But Calantas is verbally reported as exhausted due to logging and kaingin (the Tagalog term for slash-and-burn). Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by the ethnic peoples who make up a quarter of the population of the Philippines. It is a second language spoken by the majority of people in the Philippines. Reforestation efforts even had President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her term planting seedlings.
Cigar culture as a lifestyle is not sustainable in the future unless reforestation efforts improve dynamically. Could there be a trade that planting both tobacco and Toona has to be reestablished for every cigar smoked? Ha, I don't believe that the culture of cigars has even really thought nor cares about the idea but probably should have started to consider it a while ago. Of course, this opens a million other whys about the meshworks, their cultures, and could be a song that never ends. So not to do that here, let's summarize and say the object's potential to teach lessons is excellent. I'll end with that for now."
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has categorized Calantas/Kalantas as Data Deficient. But Calantas is verbally reported as exhausted due to logging and kaingin (the Tagalog term for slash-and-burn). Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by the ethnic peoples who make up a quarter of the population of the Philippines. It is a second language spoken by the majority of people in the Philippines. Reforestation efforts even had President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her term planting seedlings.
Cigar culture as a lifestyle is not sustainable in the future unless reforestation efforts improve dynamically. Could there be a trade that planting both tobacco and Toona has to be reestablished for every cigar smoked? Ha, I don't believe that the culture of cigars has even really thought nor cares about the idea but probably should have started to consider it a while ago. Of course, this opens a million other whys about the meshworks, their cultures, and could be a song that never ends. So not to do that here, let's summarize and say the object's potential to teach lessons is excellent. I'll end with that for now."
"In conclusion, there is more to learn, especially concerning each tag that remains on the wooden historical meshworks. The two meshworks were and are part of the same object simultaneously. Regardless of age, treatment, and repurposing, one can still discern they formerly were an Overall Lid NW-designed cigar box. The former cigar box meshworks were one together object, let's say in multiple scenes, such as once with a lid or cover, next without, and now the locus of clearly a former cigar box in two parts missing its top. So, to be clear, the one object-centered is a former cigar box, currently composed of two parts historical looking but not from the former privy but the VIPs tool trailer.
Items like the meshworks would typically be treated on a worksite as debris or trash and be recycled or thrown away. Due to several factors such as the object's aesthetics, age, environment, and who noticed and analyzed the meshworks, the NPS SLBE Park Architect made the first decision on July 16, 2021, to hang on to the first part found to put back in the rebuilt privy. After the second finding on September 17, 2021, and realizing both came from inside the work trailer and not the former privy, the NPS SLBE Park Architect, supported by the VIPs and myself, chose not to discard the meshworks but to gift back both to the park service. We decided to reframe the meshworks as art installed inside the interior wall on either side in the newly rebuilt privy for fun. I think both were genuinely outstanding decisions made by the NPS SLBE Park Architect based on all known factors and how collectively humanity ultimately wins."
Items like the meshworks would typically be treated on a worksite as debris or trash and be recycled or thrown away. Due to several factors such as the object's aesthetics, age, environment, and who noticed and analyzed the meshworks, the NPS SLBE Park Architect made the first decision on July 16, 2021, to hang on to the first part found to put back in the rebuilt privy. After the second finding on September 17, 2021, and realizing both came from inside the work trailer and not the former privy, the NPS SLBE Park Architect, supported by the VIPs and myself, chose not to discard the meshworks but to gift back both to the park service. We decided to reframe the meshworks as art installed inside the interior wall on either side in the newly rebuilt privy for fun. I think both were genuinely outstanding decisions made by the NPS SLBE Park Architect based on all known factors and how collectively humanity ultimately wins."
Websites & Images Sourced for Summary Analysis
1. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/p/philamer/ALT0509.0001.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext
2. http://cigarhistory.info/Site/NCM_HOME.html
3. https://www.cigaraficionado.com/glossary/frontmark
4. https://www.nytimes.com/1923/03/25/archives/for-making-cigar-boxes-a-philippine-wood-may-take-the-place-of.html
5. https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Cardboard-Cigar-Box-SPENCER/dp/B007U7KS08
6. https://www.theipps.info/auction9-2013Q3/rev033.jpg
7. https://www.pinterest.co.kr/pin/234539093072294675/
8. https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/alright-alright-alright
9. https://www.asiangeo.com/culture/the-art-of-making-cigars-a-smokin-hot-skill/
10. https://caintaplantnursery.com/our-products/philippine-indigenous-plants/kalantas/kalantas-2/
1. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/p/philamer/ALT0509.0001.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext
2. http://cigarhistory.info/Site/NCM_HOME.html
3. https://www.cigaraficionado.com/glossary/frontmark
4. https://www.nytimes.com/1923/03/25/archives/for-making-cigar-boxes-a-philippine-wood-may-take-the-place-of.html
5. https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Cardboard-Cigar-Box-SPENCER/dp/B007U7KS08
6. https://www.theipps.info/auction9-2013Q3/rev033.jpg
7. https://www.pinterest.co.kr/pin/234539093072294675/
8. https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/alright-alright-alright
9. https://www.asiangeo.com/culture/the-art-of-making-cigars-a-smokin-hot-skill/
10. https://caintaplantnursery.com/our-products/philippine-indigenous-plants/kalantas/kalantas-2/
Research Team: Delmar Bromley My Son and NPS Jr. Park Ranger; NPS SLBE VIP Fridays Workshop Crew with Kim Mann NPS SLBE Architect and Matthew Mohrman NPS SLBE Volunteer Coordinator Empire, MI; Rainbow Marjanovich Humboldt State University Alumni Whitehorn, CA; Steve Kline, Oliver Art Center Clay Studio Frankfort, MI; Jeff & Jackie Mailley; MTU IH&A Department Houghton, MI; Chipstone Foundation Milwaukee, WI; Bruce Alton, PhD ABG Search Washington DC; Dan Nickels Black Rock Forge Traverse City, MI; Empire Michigan Area Museum Complex; SavyaSaachi Linguistic Anthropology Department of Sociology, Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi, Delhi, India; Building Beauty Ecological Design and Construction Process Sorrento, Italy; NPS Midwest Archaeology, Lincoln, NE; NPS SLBE Roads, Trails, and Grounds; Steve Lubar Researcher, Brown University; Aunt Kathy and Uncle Bob Shurr Big Butt Farms; David Friend Unofficial Mayor of Empire; Melissa F. Baird Associate Professor of Anthropology, Graduate Director Department of Social Sciences Michigan Tech; Mark Alan Rhodes II Assistant Professor of Geography Department of Social Sciences Michigan Tech; ; Tim Ingold, University of Aberdeen; Tisha Schafer ASD Consultant, St. Johns Michigan; and Sir Ryan Bromley NPS Carpenter
Evidence Photos #01-18