Written for my History Senior Capstone at Rollins College, this research paper examines how The Greatest Showman reshapes public memory of P.T. Barnum through spectacle, historical revisionism, and entertainment. The project explored intersections between public history, historical film theory, immersive storytelling, and audience perception, and was accompanied by a formal academic presentation.
Accompanying my History Senior Capstone at Rollins College, this presentation summarized my research examining The Greatest Showman through the lens of public history, historical film theory, and immersive storytelling. The presentation explored how spectacle and entertainment can shape public memory and historical understanding, while highlighting the ethical tensions between historical accuracy and audience engagement.
This video primarily contains the presentation slides themselves, while much of the full context, analysis, and discussion was delivered verbally during the live presentation. Additional context, and the complete argument can be found within the accompanying research paper below.