Week 6 - Ellis Island

The first thing that strikes you about this website is the way in which it is set out in an advertisment form. The use of imagery is a clear sales point, with the adverts placed down the right hand side, and the encouragement to become a member as one of the main features of the home page. This helps to show how commercialised America has become nowadays, whereas before Ellis Island was the port for immigration, it is now seen as a national landmark and a centre for advertisement and publicity. When exploring the sub-sections, 'The Immigrant Experience' section is very useful to the historians and anybody interested in actual stories. The time line gives great detail on the history of immigration, and the family history's help to relate the feature to actual people. Interaction is a big part of this website, as most links involve on you clicking on a link to find out further information. The use of the 'photo album' shows how commercialised and patriotic America has become today, with the image of the American flag swaying in the wind used as an iconic figure for the modern day Ellis Island. The older album depicts people as you would have expected them to be seen at that time, and the same way in which it is described on the rest of the website, whereas the modern album uses the idea of commercialism as a front for the images, using much more iconic images, and particularly pictures that present a sense of hope and encouragement. This seems to be a strong part of the website, presenting the pros rather than the cons of immigration.