Multimedia presentations. Annoying.

Driving by Harrisburg some time ago, I was surprised to discover the existence of a National Civil War Museum.

The museum's galleries are interesting and cover the entire span of the war. The prelude section covering the period 1850-1860 is interesting but I felt it insufficient, needing to rewind to cover related sentiment prior even to the American Revolution. The many personal artifacts invoke a human sense of the soldiers. Displays of the opponents are evenly balanced. They have a nice collection of weapons, but not nearly as impressive as the rifles, pistols, and cannons on display at Gettysburg.

One annoyance spoils the visit. There is a significant amount of reading material at each exhibit. But there are also audio and video presentations looping incessantly within each gallery. I found the audio more distracting than interesting.

Given Harrisburg's major military role during the war was to serve as an eventual rebel conquest, the answer to the question of why the museum is near Harrisburg must have something to do with Congressional pork. Perhaps proximity to Gettysburg carries the reasoning, but considering that's on the other side of the city that rationale is unsatisfying. Curious, I looked it up. I find:

• 36 USC Sec. 50103 authorizing the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War to build and operate a museum of Civil War history in Springfield, IL (have to go there now). (Yes, in fact there is a Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.) That's not it.

• Credit assigned to Stephen Reed, Harrisburg's mayor since 1985. (In his Wikipedia entry, Reed is likewise credited with transforming Harrisburg into an "attractive post-industrial city serving as a regional magnet"; on that point I am incredulous.

In other words, curiously it does not appear to be congressional pork -- at least of the federal variety.