MUNCIE, Ind.—Evan Olinger, Ball State University anthropology and history double-major from North Manchester, Indiana, is bringing the history of Indiana’s Delphi Opera House to the public by designing a museum exhibit for the facility.
Through a public history practicum class this semester, Olinger has been working with a team of nine other students, under the direction of Ronald V. Morris, professor of history, to showcase the history of both the opera house, and the history of Delphi through exhibit design and research. The students designed this space by working with historical artifacts found at the site, providing context through historical research and writing, and by filming interviews to display within the museum space.
“The project has reinforced my personal opinion that history isn’t just reading books and writing papers, it’s a tangible thing we can observe up close and interact with,” Olinger said. “I strongly believe we need to appreciate the value in preserving history, so we can share it with those who come along in the future.”
To provide historical context, students researched various areas of Delphi’s history that coincide with the history of the Opera House, like Delphi’s early transportation systems of the town, and important figures to the town, such as James Whitcomb Riley, who was a regular performer at the Opera House.
The Delphi Preservation Society was founded as a non-profit organization in 1994, who set out to “preserve the historic architectural integrity of Delphi, Indiana”, according to their website.
The public history practicum is a class dedicated to developing practical skills for a variety of historic applications and careers after college.
For more information on the Delphi Opera House visit https://www.delphioperahouse.
