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Austin Past and Present:
An Interactive Community History Project
Overview
What Is Austin Past and Present?
Who Will Benefit From Austin Past and Present?
Who Created This Project?
Who Funded This Project?
What Is Austin Past and Present?
A Multimedia History
Austin Past and Present is Austin’s first multimedia history, a comprehensive documentary that chronicles Austin’s past, via a computer presentation. Rich with historic photos, film, and audio recordings from over 160 other archival collections, Austin Past and Present features 300 slide shows comprising 1600 images and accompanying stories. The project also features eight videos that chronicle Austin’s history from the geologic formation of the area to the present day. All of these stories and videos are accessible simply by clicking a computer mouse through a user-friendly interface that uses interactive timelines and maps to bring Austin’s history to life. Austin Past and Present is not a website, but a disc-based software application.
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Who Will Benefit From Austin Past and Present?
Schools and Libraries
Through a grant from the MFI Foundation and under the supervision of the AISD social studies curriculum department, a team of 14 teachers have created lesson plans, aligned with State standards, that will allow the project to be incorporated into the school curriculum in grades 2, 3, 4, 5 7, 8 and11. This curriculum, and the project, will be rolled out to schools throughout the 2006-2007 school year. Austin Past and Present will also be made available to Austin Public libraries on existing computers over the next year. If you would like to get the project and the curriculum for your school, please contact Karen Kocher at austinpastandpresent@austin.rr.com.
Visitors to Public Buildings
The City of Austin is funding 3 kiosks for the general public. These kiosks are planned for the City Hall, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and the Austin Convention Center. A permanent kiosk has already been installed at the Austin History Center at 9th and Guadalupe Sts. Another permanent display is also planned for the Austin Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria.
The General Public
Finally, Austin Past and Present will also be available for purchase for home use for $24.95. Proceeds from sales will support the Austin History Center Association in its mission to serve the Austin History Center. Funds generated by the project will help the Austin History Center to continue its mission of preserving Austin’s history for future generations. To order a copy, click here.
Austin Past and Present will not only educate, fascinate, and entertain, but will help foster a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for our community. Indeed, Austin Past and Present will benefit all sectors of our community, serving approximately 500,000 children, adults, and visitors to our city each year.
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Who Created This Project?
Karen Kocher Creator
Austin Past and Present is the brain-child of Karen Kocher, an award-winning documentary media producer and University of Texas faculty member in the Department of Radio/Television and Film. Over the past six years, Kocher has raised the funds and created the partnerships necessary to bring the project to fruition under the sponsorship of the Austin History Center Association and the Austin Film Society.
A Wonderful Team of Advisors
The advisors for Austin Past and Present include: David C. Humphrey, author of numerous books on Austin’s history; Don Carleton, Director of the Center for American History at the University of Texas; Austin History Center Archivist Susan K. Soy; Austin History Center Curator Emerita Biruta Celmins Kearl; Rosemary Morrow, Ph.D., former Social Studies Supervisor for the Austin Independent School District; architectural historian Peter Flagg Maxson; Dr. Michael B. Collins, an expert on Austin’s pre-history, Dr. Maria Wade, a scholar whose work concentrates on the Native American and Spanish periods and geologist, Charles “Chock” Woodruff.
People Like You
In addition to the core staff, the production of the project has involved over 200 Austin citizens who have donated their time, talent and expertise to bring this project to the people of Austin. Ten Junior League of Austin volunteers conducted research and wrote the 160 project biographies. Many community leaders, such as Austin Mayor Will Wynn and former Mayor Frank Cooksey lent their voices to play historic characters in the videos. New York Times best-selling author Stephen Harrigan was the script “doctor” for the longer historic videos, and filmmaker Hector Galan is the series narrator. Subject matter experts from archeologists to historic preservationists, from music historians to local musicians contributed their expertise and talent to the project at no charge.
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Who Funded This Project?
Lead Donors
The City of Austin, Humanities Texas, The Austin Community Foundation, The MFI Foundation, The Junior League of Austin and The Summerlee Foundation, Dallas.
More Community Support
Austin Energy, U.T. College of Communication, The LCRA, The Texas Commission on the Arts, The Downtown Austin Alliance, The Lola Wright Foundation, H.E. Butt Grocery Company, Time Warner Cable, The Brown Foundation, Susanne Vaughan Foundation, Velocity Credit Union, Texas Gas Service, Hill Country Conservancy, Shield-Ayres Foundation, Dell, David Newberger and numerous private individuals.
In-Kindness
Austin-American Statesman, Austin Museum of Art, Austin Symphony, Ave Bonar, Ballet Austin, Blanton Museum, The Driskill Hotel, Green Pastures, Twin Liquors, Texas State History Museum and more to come…
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