Mary Harrsch
Network & Management Information Systems
College
of Education,
University of Oregon
I
was raised in Bandon, a
small community on the Oregon coast famous for its historic lighthouse
and beautiful beaches. Although Bandon is now a trendy tourist
destination, in the fifties and sixties it was a quiet little
town that depended on fishing, timber harvest, and the cultivation
of cranberries. My father, already retired from the Navy by the
time I was six years old, moved us to Bandon to be near his elderly
parents and opened an upholstery shop...More>>
Personal Pages:
Madame Tussaud's Celebrity Encounter
Virtual Egyptian Archaeology Dig
Images of the Ancient World
Database
Historical Dolls News
and Acquisitions
Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
Although I have collected period dolls casually for several
years, I did not become a serious historical doll collector
until I visited a website put up by another historical doll
enthusiast who specialized in Cleopatra dolls. I was amazed
at all of the different versions of the Queen of Egypt that
had been produced over the years by various doll companies
and individual artists. I resolved that day to focus my doll
collection and use this hobby to help disseminate historical
information in an interesting and enjoyable format. More >>
(Click the little arrow in the lower left corner of the image above to hear my personal greeting if it did not autoplay)
I hope HBO will forgive me for "borrowing" one of their costumes and the rest of you will be understanding about my use of Photoshop to take a few years off of my countenance! I thoroughly enjoyed "Rome" and look forward to season two, now in production. I just wish I could have visited the set at Cinecitta Studios when I was in Rome in Spring 2005. However, I need to begin planning a return trip. I see that Cinecitta is planning a major theme park. I can't help but assume it is, at least partially, due to the success of HBO's "Rome" miniseries and the potential to capitalize on the elaborate sets that were produced for it.
My latest photos uploaded to Flickr:
News & Publications
Read News of the Ancient World in Roman Times
My Technology Times and Trials Weblog
My Article on RSS: The Next Killer App for Education Featured in The Technology Source
Extending
the Learning Environment:
Virtual Professors in Education
Image Sharing Services Point The Way for Learning Object Repositories
Holy Land Experience offers history buffs an interesting outing
While in Orlando, Florida several years ago,
I explored the, then new, Holy Land Experience, not as a particularly
religious person but as someone interested in ancient history.
Although the obvious message woven into the fabric of this "theme
park" was an evangical one, as a student of history I
still found my time spent there enjoyable and educational.
....More>>
History Really Does
Come Alive for Me!
I appreciate history from all historical periods but I have always been especially interested in ancient Mediterranean cultures. Although I am fascinated by ancient Egypt, I became totally entranced by ancient Rome after reading the "Masters of Rome" series of novels by Colleen McCullough and in particular the life of Julius Caesar. McCullough's novels, "The First Man In Rome", "The Grass Crown", "Fortune's Favorites", "Caesar's Women", and "Caesar", made this complex personality come to life. He was not the cold and calculating tyrannical conqueror often depicted by various historians apparently with their own political axes to grind. He was a tender lover, a skilled orator and advocate, a talented poet and historian, a consumate politician, and a man with integrity as well as cunning.and military genius. More >>
Talk to Gaius Julius Caesar!
I became so entraced with Julius Caesar that I used artificial intelligence software developed by Artificial-Life, Inc. to create a "virtual" Julius Caesar. You can ask him questions about his victories or the colorful women in his life! Remember, however, that he was assassinated on the Ides of March in 44 B.C.E.. The Colosseum has not been built, Marcus Aurelius has not been born yet, Christianity does not exist, and his Roman world is still structured as a Republic.
On the Ides of March 2005, I had the honor of laying roses on the remnants of Julius Caesar's funeral pyre at his temple in the Roman Forum - one rose for each of his 23 grievous wounds. In all I spent eleven memorable days in Italy, soaking up all the history I could in Rome, Pompeii, Tivoli, and Florence. I threw five coins in Trevi Fountain so I obviously hope to return!
Las Vegas offers nongamblers like me a number of other family oriented activities. I had a great time at Star Trek: The Experience and Madame Toussaud's Celebrity Encounter!
Can't
afford an African Safari?
Check out my wildlife photos of Cabela's Outdoor Outfitters dynamic animal exhibits!
Movieland Wax Museum brings back childhood memories
Being a very strict, my father
only allowed us to have one formal outing a week and I usually
chose the local theater 
that
ran double features (now a thing of the past) on Friday and
Saturday nights. At that time the film industry offered many
historical pageants like Ben Hur, Spartacus, and El Cid which
not only appealed to my love of history but ignited my passion
for cinema, a passion that has not dimmed over the decades. Sadly, Movieland Wax Museum has closed. But, you can revisit through my website.