Chapter 14: Seeing is Believing: Visual Primary Sources Make Wide-Eyed Learners

Primary sources are more than the words of the past; they are observable, sometimes touchable pictures and objects. These kinds of first-hand evidence of the past can bring the content material alive for students (Waters & Russell, 2013). They can open clear visions of history that words alone can only make barely visible through the fog of time. Historical interest in the physical and visual evidence is not a new phenomenon. People have always treasured keepsakes and heirlooms. The ancients made statues of themselves in order to be remembered. Scrapbooks and souvenirs have been loved and studied since the ancient world.