Abe A vs. Abe B by Silvia Burt

2024-08-30 13:08:02 UTC

For centuries, society has been uncovering history by the use of photographs taken years ago. But what do ancient and hard-to-look at photographs provide for historians? These photos serve as a tool to connect our modern day society with what the world looked like hundreds of years ago. For far too long we’ve been discussing between the two images of our former president, Abraham Lincoln for the museum’s historical exhibit. However there is a fairly obvious answer to our discussion, Image A is more practical and genuine for the museum. Image A provides a more realistic and relatable interpretation of Abraham Lincoln. People don’t want to look up to someone who is too “perfect”, a leader should connect with their people and their influences. Lincoln’s demeanor and laid back look is expressed through his messy clothing, hair and posture. Many people today spend their days worrying about their image, it’s refreshing seeing someone with such authority and power not to pretend to be perfectly superior to the people. Lincoln twiddling with his hands, his off centered bow tie, the slight smirk on his face, and his eye contact with the camera, gives the viewer a reminder that someone like themselves is capable of bringing a change in their society. Other than the humanity in Image A, there’s also the fact that Image B is simply not historically accurate. Audiences want what’s most concrete, authentic and aligns the most with history. People want to feel like they are experiencing the era, using modern advertisements can cause a disconnect between the historic events and the audiences expecting real history. Image B, however, provides more of the same. There are already so many images and pictures that seem AI-generated, image A breaks away from all this and brings people back to the 19th century. It offers an old, yet fresh perspective. Image B is just a last ditch effort to conform with the AI herd mentality. Lastly, Image B simply fails to capture the essence of humanity. In Image B, Lincoln looks almost as if he’s depressed, especially with the dark lighting and soulless eyes. This man just abolished slavery and he looks unfulfilled with his accomplishments. In contrast to Image B, Image A has a sense of happiness and accomplishment. Humanity should feel proud of themselves and show it off, especially in photos, not present themselves as a stone cold man. AI fails to capture the emotion and liveliness that many humans convey in photos. In conclusion, Image A retains aspects that Image B fails to illustrate in its AI generated image.

2024-08-30 13:09:09 UTC

Many of the younger generations are constantly exposed to AI-generated images and are becoming more attracted to them. The museum director should choose image B due to the eye-catching appeal to the younger audiences through the generated image. The purpose of advertising is to attract, and the use of vibrant colors and media that appeals to families and younger people attracts them far better than a bland historical image that many people have seen before. Image B’s novelty sparks the curiosity of the people contrasting to image A which many people have seen before. If we look at the location of the poster, it is meant to attract the people who are walking by. Having a colorful image that uses a larger image of Abraham Lincoln further attracts them to the museum. Some would say that the image is inaccurate since it was made from computer generation, however, the purpose of the poster is to attract the people into the museum to learn about Lincoln. The only reason it would need to be a primary source would be if it was actually in the exhibit. In this image, Lincoln portrays a confident and powerful look and he looks neat and fixed. It has a lively feeling which will make families want to come in and learn about him. In conclusion, image B is the most reasonable choice for the museum to use as a poster, attracting younger people and families to learn more about Lincoln.

2024-08-30 13:09:20 UTC

The elements of authenticity in Image A make it the only valid option to be the face of the Historical Museum U.S. President Exhibition. There is no better way to present the true essence and nature of Lincoln than in this primary source photo of him, one of the last taken before his assasination. Even though Image B has a more appealing and colorful look, it fails to capture elements such as Lincoln's body language and the reality of photography at the time. Given that image A is an authentic image, seeing Lincoln’s messy hair, puffy eyes, and slouching posture, can allow one to understand how his mannerisms were after his victory in the Civil War. Since this photograph was captured in the 19th century, seeing his hands in motion and the marks caused by the development of the photo reflects the reality of technology at the time. This image also presents the humanity in him, in comparison to the A.I. generated photo, due to his slightly awkward smile and fidgeting hands. Image B shows an unrelatable, powerful Lincoln, but image A portrays a more approachable, human side of him. This image can convince any audience into the museum due to the comfortability and true, accurate essence of Abraham Lincoln it presents.

2024-08-30 13:10:07 UTC

Colorful, bright, inspiring, heroic. These are the qualities that image B presents. Image B should be chosen for the museum’s featured art because of these qualities and its advantages over image A. Imagine you were shown a vivid, colorful picture versus a dull colorless one. Which one would capture your attention first? Chances are that the colorful one would catch your eye. The same thing happens with image A and image B. If someone were walking down the street, they wouldn't be drawn to image A on a poster because it has no color and can blend in with the environment. Image B, on the other hand, stands out. Not only does it stand out, but it could subconsciously remind you of a historical monument, Mount Rushmore. On Mount Rushmore, Lincoln’s face is present looking out heroically and powerfully.

Image B appeals more to younger audiences because of its technological and innovative aspects. It was created with the help of AI, which looks more modern. If we take a look at Image A we can really see how repetitive it is. Every museum has pictures similar to this. Therefore when you look at it you might just see another boring picture. When looking at Image A, we can notice that his appearance may look familiar to some famous characters. In Image A, Lincoln is wearing dark and ominous clothing and therefore looks like Darth Vader, Voldemort, and other antagonists. Image B’s color, disposition, and innovation make it the superior choice to advertise this museum for a wide range of ages.

2024-08-30 13:10:18 UTC

Forget Boomers, Let's Go Bloomers.

Before one chooses either image A or image B, one should remember the key purpose of the campaign. The purpose behind the poster is to attract younger people and bring a younger audience into the museum to help them learn history. It’s common knowledge that museums generally attract older people, boomers, but we want to attract younger people, bloomers. With these in mind, you should vote for image B, and this is why. Do you want to go to a museum and learn the same boring history you learn at school with the same old pictures? No, so let's choose image B and a different perspective to learn about history in a modern way. Image B will attract younger people while still providing historically accurate information. The poster attracts a younger audience because of its colorful factor; kids love the color because everything they watch is full of color and it stimulates them. Color adds emotion; when something is in black and white, it's harder to notice the small details, like blushing or thoughts. Color also attracts eyes; something in black and white does not attract attention, but when in color, it catches a person's eyes and their attention. The right campaign will attract the right audience. If you want a poster that will make people want to go in and explore, image B is the right choice. Image A might be a moment in history, but it's outdated. Life is constantly changing, and we have to change with it. If we stay the same, we will be stuck, and everything around us will be evolving. Image B will help us evolve with life and attract a younger audience.

Ferran Marxuach, Catalina Quinones, Margaux Weakley

2024-08-30 13:12:09 UTC

When visiting a historical museum, people expect to find factual and real representations of the past in which they can relate to. When comparing Image A to Image B, the former is clearly the better choice for a poster in a museum. Image A would be preferred among the audience because it is historically accurate, relatable, and preserves Abe’s essence. Historical accuracy is important because when people see an image that captures a real moment in time, they will associate it with accurate information, in contrast to an AI generated image that was only just recently created. It being a photo taken close to the time of his death, links to him and is a direct first hand source that is expected of a museum. When looking at the image you can see that it also provides more information and can be educational, as the time period had much different technology. With the image being authentic, it shows his real attitude and true behavior. Presidency is often looked at as being a highly powerful job in which presidents are expected to act confident and be in control. This image breaks the stereotype and introduces a welcoming environment, as seeing people like that, acting like any other regular person allows the viewer to know they have their authentic, raw moments. Image A preserves Abe’s true essence, as seen by his fidgeting hands, crooked bowtie, and slight smile. This provides a deeper connection to the image, allowing the audience to relate to the president. His disposition in this image displays a human who is just like the people he is leading. Overall, Image A presents a more suitable choice for a poster for a historical museum, as it embodies a genuine and historical figure through historical accuracy and relatability.