Aegis of Memory
In Homer’s Iliad, the aegis is identified as the breastplates of Athena and Zeus, both of which bear Medusa’s head. The word itself has Greek roots and was later adopted by the Romans. Norse and Egyptian mythology exhibit distinct parallels to the concept. The contemporary use of aegis suggests protection by a strong force—the application of aegis in our discussion of the Villa Terrace refers to the immense care taken by many to protect the historic house against the disintegration of its natural environment and the loss of its public memory.
The individuals responsible for truly carrying the weight of the Villa Terrace’s restoration and renewed liveliness face a new challenge: with the Villa’s new and groomed image comes the need to ensure that the love and passion poured into this unique building continue to inspire future generations. When it comes to the presentation of the Villa to the general public, there has been a noticeable shift in the way it is done. It is a result of changes made in the management and administration of the museum. These changes suggest an alternate form of remembering. While in the past, a personal, visceral, and palpable memory of the Villa evoked a familiar image of everyday life, new forms of remembrance are more formal, suggesting a certain distance, whether physical, personal, or temporal. A productive union of these two forms of remembrance will guarantee the future of the Villa. As we seek to understand the foundation of the Villa Terrace, we analyze the concept of memory as it manifests and adapts over time, and in particular, what this transition means for the Villa’s future. |
Dennis Buettner, the Villa Terrace's landscape architect, talks about his first impression of the Villa.
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Personal
In 1997, the Friends of Villa Terrace banded together to start the Italian Renaissance Garden for the Villa and to raise the $1,750,000 necessary for such a project. The Friends Board, as described by members Delphine Cannon and Beth Chapman, consisted of docents, volunteers, neighbors, and other admirers who gladly took over the management, organization, and stewardship of the Villa from the Smith family. Individual relationships with the building grew as they recreated the lived and palpable experience of everyday life in the Villa: enjoying a serene lunch on the terrace overlooking Lake Michigan, watching young grandchildren ride bicycles around the Hermes statue, and hearing the reverberations of happily entertained guests in the great hall. These visceral and intimate experiences invoke an understanding of experiential memory as defined by Richard Wollheim. Simply by thinking about the Villa, the stewards (in this case, the members of the Friends Board) distinctly imagined the days of the Villa’s prime: the summer breeze, the fine banquets, and the strolls. In this way, the Villa was more than just a museum—it served as an icon, a symbolic "home," and a way of life remembered by the stewards of the Villa and the neighborhood. The physical structure of the Villa served as a conduit through which memories of this era were accessed. |
Delphine Cannon, one of the original members of the Friends of the Villa Terrace Board, talks about some of the initiatives taken to fund the garden.
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Collective
The new management of Villa are once removed from the nostalgic memory of the Smith family and their lifestyle. These individuals who are actively working to sustain the Villa do not remember the Smith family or the social era of opulence and parties. Having no direct personal connection to the Smith family home (unlike those on the Friends Board), the current management approaches the Villa with new eyes, and they see a different story of preservation. This newer generation views and appreciates the Villa as a complete piece of art—the architecture and landscaped garden are impressive to behold, and a constructed sense of calm attracts the attention of newcomers to the museum today. The new management knows the Villa as a public museum, one with unique attributes and character that are worthy of protection and patronage. Instead of preserving and presenting the Villa as a symbolic "home," the current management targets the sensorial qualities of the site. By emphasizing the physical structures as well as the sensorial experience of "inhaling" the Villa (John Sterr, interviewed 06/21/13), the Villa Terrace becomes a desirable venue for educational programs and social events alike, such as the Art in the Garden Program, a successful initiative paired with Milwaukee public school art teachers, and the numerous annual weddings. |
Val Kupczak-Rios, the current estate gardener, talks about the experience of walking through the gate at the Villa.
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Synthesis
The two experiences of memory displayed at the Villa are representative of how different groups of people remember: the first generation, who remembers the Villa as an intimate and palpable experience of a nostalgic domestic life, and the second generation, whose experience of the Villa is one of aesthetic and sensorial beauty. As the first generation stewards give way to second generation managers, their skills complement each other to ensure a holistic representation of the house. It would be unfaithful to present the house as a building disassociated from the Smith family legacy, and it would be equally unfruitful to isolate this memory without regard to how people relate to the building today. As a first-time visitor to the Villa Terrace one month ago, we felt the synthesis of these two ways of remembering the past. The aegis of memory—the personal and the collective—thus insures that people will continue to relate to the Villa Terrace today, making the site a distinctive resource and asset to the Historic Water Tower Neighborhood. |
Marketing Manager John Sterr details the Art in the Garden program
as one of the Villa's many initiatives to engage the community and younger generations. |
Stories
Beth Chapman, interview by John Annis, BLC Field School, June 18, 2013.
Delphine Cannon, interview by Katia Chaterji, BLC Field School, June 18, 2013.
Dolores Hayden, The Power of Place: Urban Landscapes as Public History, (Cambridge: The MIT Press, 1995).
John Sterr, interview by John Annis, BLC Field School, June 21, 2013.
Jennifer A. Jordan, "Landscapes of European Memory: Biodiversity and Collective Remembrance," History & Memory 22: 2 (2010): 5-33.
Pierre Nora, "Between Memory and History: Les Lieux de Memoire," Representations 26 (1989): 7-24.
Richard Wollheim, "Memory, Experiential Memory, and Personal Identity," In Perception and Identity: Essays Presented to A. J. Ayer with His Replies to Them, edited by G.F. McDonald. (London: Macmillan, 1979).
Delphine Cannon, interview by Katia Chaterji, BLC Field School, June 18, 2013.
Dolores Hayden, The Power of Place: Urban Landscapes as Public History, (Cambridge: The MIT Press, 1995).
John Sterr, interview by John Annis, BLC Field School, June 21, 2013.
Jennifer A. Jordan, "Landscapes of European Memory: Biodiversity and Collective Remembrance," History & Memory 22: 2 (2010): 5-33.
Pierre Nora, "Between Memory and History: Les Lieux de Memoire," Representations 26 (1989): 7-24.
Richard Wollheim, "Memory, Experiential Memory, and Personal Identity," In Perception and Identity: Essays Presented to A. J. Ayer with His Replies to Them, edited by G.F. McDonald. (London: Macmillan, 1979).