Created as a pilot project for the Claremont Center for Digital Humanities, “Performing Archive: Edward S. Curtis + ‘the vanishing race’” aggregates media from several different collections based on the early 20th century ethnographic and photographic work of Edward S. Curtis. In its gathering of materials from multiple sources, “Performing Archive” acts both as a meta-archive in its own right, and as an interpretive layer that examines Curtis’ materials through essays written by a variety of contributors. The project is designed to expand over time with additional contributions from students, faculty, and the public.

“Performing Archive” is the first project to make use of an experimental new reader interface for Scalar that’s designed to improve readability, navigation, and media presentation. The interface integrates a way-finding visualization called the “pinwheel” in the background of every page, making it easier for readers to get their bearings. New splash page and gallery views allow more media to be featured in Scalar books, with greater visual impact. A beta version of the new interface is scheduled to be made available to all Scalar users in December 2013.