Assignment 6: Flickr

Many Cleveland residents are unaware of the historical gem moored behind the Great Lakes Science Center, the Steamship William G. Mather Museum. Nicknamed “The Ship That Built Cleveland” the Mather represents an era when steel was king and Cleveland was a thriving, industrial giant. For several years, I worked as the curator of the Mather and wanted to share the wonder of this Great Lakes freighter.

My intent with my Flickr search was to display the entire ship so viewers could appreciate this historical treasure. I hoped to find interior and exterior pictures of the ship that serve as a pictorial tour for viewers. I also wanted to illustrate the Mather as being an integral part of Cleveland. I incorporated pictures that showed the Mather in relation to other lake front attractions and highlighted the dynamic views the Mather offers of Cleveland. Listed below are my search terms:

Steamship William G. Mather
Steamship William G. Mather Museum
William G. Mather Museum
Mather Museum
William G. Mather
Great Lakes Freighter Flagships
Cleveland Cliffs

This exercise was my first experience using Flickr and I did not know what to expect. At first, I was uneasy because I thought I would be unsuccessful with my search. I was incorrect. No matter the search phrase used, I found pictures. I enjoyed viewing all the pictures and I struggled with selecting pictures to use for my gallery. The amount of pictures available for the Mather surprised me. I did not think Flickr would contain so many pictures of a former Great Lakes freighter. As I explored the various pictures, I found myself wanting to revisit the Mather and I plan to take a trip to the museum before the end of the summer.

I will use Flickr in the future and I look forward to creating more galleries. The amount of pictures available is amazing and I like that so many pictures are accessible to everyone. Flickr allows people to view pictures of places they may never have a chance to see in person. My only critique of Flickr is in regards to erroneous results that appeared using my search terms. Sometimes pictures not of the Mather appeared during my queries. Since I am familiar with the ship, I knew these were not actual photographs of the Mather, but someone unfamiliar with the ship might think they were. Users should be exact with search terms to help eliminate this problem. In addition, it is the viewer’s responsibility to ensure that pictures contain the correct label and to perform additional research if unsure.

The Steamship William G. Mather gallery can be viewed at this URL:

www.flickr.com/photos/tforf/galleries/72157624630911054/