Destroyed diorama upsets high-schoolers (1 Viewer)

[Scott]

Diorama's destruction dismays Gilbert students

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/109116


Destroyed diorama upsets high-schoolers
Museum official called project 'historically inaccurate'

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0214gr-diorama0214-ON.html


Destruction of diorama at Camp Mabry upsets students
Arizona high school students spent 3 years building model of battle.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/02/16/0216diorama.html

Teacher aims to bring diorama back to life


http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/109695

 

[nmrocks]

WOW! The arrogance of that museum director, after seeing what he did to the diorama I would say his irresposibility shows he is not qualified for his position of authority and should be removed himself!!!
Ray

 

[Harrytheheid]

WOW! The arrogance of that museum director, after seeing what he did to the diorama I would say his irresposibility shows he is not qualified for his position of authority and should be removed himself!!!
Ray

I completely agree with you Ray.
Mr Hunt deserves a big boot right where the sun doesn't shine. How dare he destroy something that was put together to develop an interest in history. IF there were inaccuracies that were unacceptable to HIM in the diorama, surely the most reasonable action would have been to notify the students so they could recitify the same - not destroy what was evidently a labour of love.
I'm also about this.

Regards
H

 

[Louis Badolato]

The guy is a class A jerk who destroyed $23,000 worth of museum property as well as the dreams of those kids. The museum should fire him, sue him for the cost of repairing the diorama, and the kids should toilet paper his house.

 

[Rob]

Oh my god,all that effort that went into that dio,how could you do a thing like that?

Rob

 

[theBaron]

He's probably a typical product of our university system these days. Not only has respect for the opinions of others gone by the wayside, but outrageous behavior (eg, destroying someone else's work) is acceptable, if it doesn't match your worldview.

Prost, beianand!
Brad

 

[jazzeum]

Brad,

You haven't been here long enough to know but we don't talk politics on this Board so to the first part of your first sentence has been edited.

 

[theBaron]

Understood, no prob.

Prosit!
Brad

 

[desk11desk12]

The guy is a class A jerk who destroyed $23,000 worth of museum property as well as the dreams of those kids. The museum should fire him, sue him for the cost of repairing the diorama, and the kids should toilet paper his house.

Agreed!

Carlos

 

[wadepat]

He's probably a typical product of our university system these days. Not only has respect for the opinions of others gone by the wayside, but outrageous behavior (eg, destroying someone else's work) is acceptable, if it doesn't match your worldview.

Prost, beianand!
Brad

Hi Baron,

Prior to my retirement, I was employed for 37 years in an American University. Over that span of years, I saw many students, both undergraduate and graduate, who became increasingly open to nonjudgmentally listening to opposing points of view. Further, with such human growth came a respectful attitude toward the products of another person's creative work. In short, I take issue with you regarding the "typical product of our university system." While Mr. Hill may be a first class jerk, I cannot blame the entire university system for his horribly inappropriate actions. I can only conclude he was a jerk before he entered the system and he remained a jerk upon emerging from the system. His behavior is not the result of a failure of the system. Rather, his behavior is the result of his own failure to profit from the opportunities available to him in the American system of higher education. His actions are a representation of his own failings, not the failure of the University system.

Warmest personal regards,

Pat

 

[theBaron]

Point taken. Still, it's probably not too likely that he's a grad of a school like Grove City College.

Prost!
Brad

 

[OzDigger]

We haven't heard Mr Hill's side of the story yet, so personally I don't think we should burn him at the stake just yet. From what I have read the museum paid the kids for the diorama which makes the diorama museum property. It was on display for a reasonable amount of time then removed from display because of lack of museum space together with the fact that the diorama lacked accuracy.

The diorama wasn't destroyed out of spite and frankly I doubt that the top man of a museum would be doing much of the hands on dismantling work around the place. Some of the figures were damaged when the diorama was dismantled but there is no actual evidence that any 'sweeping of arms' was involved, it just looked like that to some disgruntled guy.

Yes, I agree that if the museum no longer needed the diorama they should have offered it back to the school or made some other arrangements, but museums tend to be like that. Maybe it's all a cunning promotion plan by Mr Hill's publishers because his book wasn't selling so well. Now everyone is buying the book to see what a 'terrible' guy he really is

 

[Saber]

Precisely. Given that first accounts aren't always accurate perhaps we should hold off the tar and feathering. If he is guilty as charged there will be plenty of time to pass a proper sentence on the man. It could be the fact that it was a ACW diorama which is inflaming a few passions on both sides.

I've seen some interesting marketing ploys Oz but that destructo technique is a new angle, I might have to give it a try.

 

[OzDigger]

Thanks Saber, I welcome a fellow member interested in fair play and facts rather than emotional witch hunts promoted by media feeding frenzies. However you had better watch out you don't get tagged as a guy with an agenda, a political correctness nut, or worse

 

[maddadicus]

We haven't heard Mr Hill's side of the story yet, so personally I don't think we should burn him at the stake just yet. From what I have read the museum paid the kids for the diorama which makes the diorama museum property. It was on display for a reasonable amount of time then removed from display because of lack of museum space together with the fact that the diorama lacked accuracy.

The diorama wasn't destroyed out of spite and frankly I doubt that the top man of a museum would be doing much of the hands on dismantling work around the place. Some of the figures were damaged when the diorama was dismantled but there is no actual evidence that any 'sweeping of arms' was involved, it just looked like that to some disgruntled guy.

Yes, I agree that if the museum no longer needed the diorama they should have offered it back to the school or made some other arrangements, but museums tend to be like that. Maybe it's all a cunning promotion plan by Mr Hill's publishers because his book wasn't selling so well. Now everyone is buying the book to see what a 'terrible' guy he really is

OZ, there are photos of the dismantled display out there. The figures were dumped into piles on the board and it sure looks like a sweep hand was used..Also, this director was asked to leave another museum for not being able to place nice with others...Michael

 

[Louis Badolato]

OZ, there are photos of the dismantled display out there. The figures were dumped into piles on the board and it sure looks like a sweep hand was used..Also, this director was asked to leave another museum for not being able to place nice with others...Michael

Michael, I happen to agree with you about this director, but OZ is absolutely right that no one should rush to judgment. Both sides of the story should be heard, and an open mind should be kept, but from what I have read so far, the museum director seems like a *******.

 

[OzDigger]

I'll hold the tar pot for you guys if he proves to be as bad as the media paints him

Btw, the piles of soldiers looked more like 1/72 figures to me, yet the close up shots of the original dio suggested the scale was closer to 1/32, but I could be wrong.

 

[HistoryfortheAges]

That is really sad. No one should have the right to destroy public property based on what their own personal opinion is on the subject. It's a crime and the guy should be paying restitution for it.

 

[Harrytheheid]

That is really sad. No one should have the right to destroy public property based on what their own personal opinion is on the subject. It's a crime and the guy should be paying restitution for it.

Yup.
There seems to be A******s everywhere you look these days.

Regards
H

 

[Scott]

On further study of the story I found that the action pictured in the diorama didn't match what actually happened. There wasn't any triumpant CSA charge over the US, and there wasn't an 18th Century howitzer as in the photo. The US forces didn't have artillery at that battle. CSA forces did have artillery, but a 60+ year old design is unlikely.

Jeff Hunt sounds a little like an Ayn Rand hero destroying something to keep it from being misused.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/04/19/0419roundup.html

Saturday, April 19, 2008

AUSTIN

Museum director's firing sought

Texas Military Forces Museum Association members said Friday that museum director Jeff Hunt should be fired for dismantling a 10-foot-by-5-foot Civil War diorama built by high school students in Arizona.

At the association's quarterly meeting, members decided to hold an association-wide e-mail vote on whether Hunt should be removed.

The vote will be advisory only. Although the 600-member association runs the Camp Mabry museum on a shoestring budget, it is the property of the Texas national and state guards. Adjutant Gen. Charles Rodriguez, the Texas National Guard commander, wants it expanded into a multimillion-dollar facility. Hunt was hired to help carry out that vision.

The diorama depicted the Battle at Palmetto Ranch. The museum association commissioned it at a cost $23,000 in materials, and its dismantling has made national news.