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It is February and you know what that means – it is Black History Month. I have never been too keen on the setting aside of particular months for things whether it be Women’s History Month in March or Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. I feel it gives people an excuse to ignore these topics the rest of the year. In the case for the historical recognitions it seems like the same token individuals/artifacts are dusted off (sometimes not even) and brought out for the obligatory exhibit or public program.
In our field if we don’t fall into step with the observance of a particular month for a particular group we could be labeled as out of touch, insensitive, or even worse, bigoted. I have always honed to the belief that if an organization is truly interested in serving the public—we as non-profits are responsible for keeping the public trust after all—it serves all the members of the public all the time. It doesn’t mean that you slip a minority into an exhibit or program to make sure you are hitting some quota, it means you keep your audience in mind at all times. You create programs that reflect your community and you are welcoming to everyone from all backgrounds. It is easy to say but hard to achieve. Not that most of us would want to consciously be unwelcoming, but there are perceptions we all have to manage.
The public is conditioned to expect African American history in February, though is it me or are they less conscious of March being Women’s History Month? So what to do if you want to capitalize on expectations but not appear to be pandering? Have your Black History Month program or exhibit or what-have-you in February but have another one some other month as well. Make sure your exhibits reflect the diversity of your community as much as you can reasonably manage. I understand the challenges this can create. My institution has limited resources relating to African American history (historically the Black population of the area hovers around 10%), though they are improving very slowly.
George Ambush operated a lunch wagon in the 1940s. Popular for its delicious sandwiches Ambush’s business also was known for its catchy slogan, “The six wheeled diner, where service is finer.” Much of his clientele included employees from local Frederick companies like Price Electric and Frederick Iron & Steel, which would coordinate their lunch hours to accommodate the wagon’s schedule. (Photo credit: From the collections of the Historical Society of Frederick County)
Nevertheless, we refuse to use the “we don’t have it, we can’t exhibit it” excuse and have come up with other ways to try to be good stewards of our community’s history. We host lectures, symposia, write articles, and use photos to fill in the gaps we have. At the same time we don’t typically make a big deal over the fact our efforts are specifically focused on Black history or women’s history or any other group’s history. It is all history and has equal importance to the understanding of our community and nation.
A recent thread on a listserv to which I subscribe was entitled “Incorporating the African American Story.” This made me think, are people still “incorporating” Black history? Shouldn’t it be there from the start?
The title of this post is purposely misleading; all State Capitol buildings offer guided tours for free. If you are looking for something free and fun to do in the Mid-Atlantic, I suggest visiting a nearby State Capitol Building for a guided tour. So what if parking is a nightmare– it’ll be worth it, I promise.
Capitol buildings are awe-inspiring American palaces that serve as a unique symbol of their state. Typically, on a State Capitol building tour, a guide will share information on the history of the State Capitol, including how it looks (construction, design, and decoration) as well as how it works (an explanation of the legislative process). Visit one and you’ll be tempted to visit all five capitol buildings in the Mid-Atlantic. Once you’re hooked, you’ll be tempted to become a “Capitol Collector” and visit all 50. It is important to remember to bring valid identification and be prepared to go through security screening.
New York: New York State’s Capitol is an imposing example of 19th century architecture, mixing Italian Renaissance, Romanesque and French Renaissance styles. Local lore has it that the building is haunted by two ghosts. (That probably won’t be mentioned on the official tour.)
New Jersey: Tours of the State Capitol of New Jersey include the galleries of the Senate and Assembly, uniquely decorated conference rooms, the rotunda and the Governor’s Office reception room. Look for the early examples of electric chandeliers made by Thomas Edison’s Electric Light Company.
Pennsylvania: This five-story Capitol building was designed and furnished by Pennsylvanian artisans—the original architect wanted the American Renaissance style building to reflect the arts and crafts unique to the Keystone state.
Delaware: In Delaware you can see two state houses in one day. Visit Legislative Hall, the current seat of power, and then take a short walk over to the Old State House, which, according to their website, is the first permanent capitol building in America.
Maryland: Maryland’s State House has a rich and historic past. It is, according to their website, “the oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use and is the only state house to have ever served as the nation’s capitol.”
Washington, D.C.: Last but not least, there is the Nation’s Capitol building, the meeting-place of the country’s legislature. Construction of this iconic structure began in 1793. Take note of the grounds of the Capitol—designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, famed American landscape architect, who planned Central Park.
Last year, I wrote a post about Broadcastr.com, which allows users to record and present “location-based” stories online. A few weeks later, another location-based site launched: HistoryPin.com. There, users can post audio stories AND photos, videos, and text to a location on a map, as well as create collections and tours. For instance, check out this neighborhood tour created by the San Francisco MTA Archives. Don’t miss the fade-out tool in the right-hand sidebar, which allows you to see the modern-day photograph as well as the historic image of the same location. Impressive.
But if you want to share stories based around people, not places, these tools are less useful.
Earlier this month, a librarian drew some well-deserved media attention for creating Facebook profiles for two students from the 1910s. Unfortunately, the profiles also violated Facebook’s terms of service (and now seem to have been removed, probably due to all the attention).
So how can institutions easily share stories based around people and families? More importantly, how can we share these stories on platforms that already have a built-in audience?
One possibility may be 1000Memories.com. Its users can post images and stories, create digital family trees, and comment on their own and others’ content. And users can do it all using their Facebook profiles, theoretically connecting one social network with another.
With “memories” in the site’s name, it’s not surprising that much of the current content seems to date to the last 50 years or so. But I don’t see any technical limitations on posting older images and content. The site also offers an app that allows you to digitize photographs using your iPhone. (Lacking the requisite iPhone to test out the app, I can’t tell you much about how it works or what kind of images it produces.)
I’ll be watching to see whether any cultural institutions decide to give it a try.
The other day I was preparing handbooks for the newest members of my Board of Directors and my eye fell on a copy of our Code of Ethics. All staff, members of the Board and volunteers must adhere to the provisions outlined in this document. Included in the Code is a section on interpretation. It states, in part, that interpretation shall be based on sound scholarship and documentation and must not dilute or ignore historical accuracy for the sake of entertainment and popularity.
This may seem like a no-brainer but it is a real and ongoing concern to those of us in the trenches. The pleasure of working with the public is getting to see your research reach people, witnessing the proverbial light bulb go on. The important thing is to make sure that look of enlightenment is based on the discovery of information that is actually true.
In my travels I have witnessed to my dismay, visitors at a historic site respond with fascination to a guide who told the old saw “there are few closets in this house because they were taxed as rooms.” I have read an exhibit label that said, in essence, “women’s skirts would catch fire when they cooked on a hearth and kill them and was the second leading cause of death for women next to childbirth.” Apologies and omissions are a little harder to spot but I’ve heard things like so-and-so owned slaves but he was a kind owner and did not like it but that was the way it was back then.
Mythbusting has been an interest of mine for more years than I like to admit. I have given presentations to numerous groups on how to identify and combat myths. The most important part of my presentation is not the debunking of individual scurrilous stories but impressing upon my audience of the importance of adopting and cultivating a culture of historical accuracy at their particular site. You would think that this is just common sense but historical myths and worse, conscious distortions of history happen every day. Is it a problem that can be solved, an illness that can be cured? Not entirely.
We can’t entirely rid our culture of these myths because of the nature of our public history reality. In the U.S. anyone can open a museum or historic site for any reason. Though most sites have the best of intentions, most also do not have professional staff who can help with getting interpretation on the right track. So that leaves volunteers gleaning information from visitors, other volunteers, popular culture and visits to sites similar to their own (which creates a self perpetuating chain of myth). I am encouraged by greater availability of information online and in print, but I believe it is the duty of those of us in the profession to offer our assistance – not in a mean or know-it-all way – to organizations with fewer resources. So let’s go bust some myths!
For the past two years, I have been a member of Americorps VISTA which is an arm of the American version of the PeaceCorps. I was stationed in a museum where I wrote community outreach programming for inner-city youths. However, my term of service ended in November and I’ve been unemployed ever since. Some folks attempt to reassure me by saying that grad students are expected to be un(der)employed and poor, but being jobless is quickly losing its charms especially since my new landlord has made it clear that he doesn’t accept conference papers in lieu of rent. What does a young public-historian do when she finds herself unemployed and living in a new city? She attempts to network.
A friend once told me that networking is the act of creating and using social interactions to expand professional contacts and opportunities. So, to cope with my unemployment, I have been asking friends, relatives, acquaintances, and strangers about their jobs and I’m calling that networking. For example, last week my roommate and I went to a local brewpub to meet her father and his friend, Walter. Much to her embarrassment, I engaged this Walter character in a conversation about what he does for a living. Shortly after he finished describing his career with excitement in his voice, I suggested in no uncertain terms that he should hire me to help him fly planes to locate the illegal Marijuana farms that dot the Pennsylvania country-side. Apparently, I’m not “qualified” for that position just because I lack a pilot’s license and don’t know what weed looks like.
A few days later at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, I chatted with a uniformed middle-aged park ranger behind the information booth. When I asked her about her position, she replied with a grin and explained that she is retiring in three and a half months. “Can I have your job, please? “That’s not how it works.” “Fine. Whatever lady. Nice hat.”
Maybe grilling people about their careers isn’t exactly networking. For me, the real purpose of asking people what they do for a living is to hear more about jobs I haven’t considered and at the very least it’s a good ice breaker. This morning in the used book store/coffee shop down the street from my apartment, I nonchalantly asked the owner, “is this your dream job?” 25 minutes later our conversation ended with me landing an interview with a friend of hers who owns a used bookstore in a nearby town. Perhaps there is no wrong way to network
This time of year is known for many things: holidays, the beginning of winter, and a barrage of end-of-year fundraising appeals.
Online giving is especially important in December, as people rush to make donations before the end of the tax year. In fact, a significant portion of online giving apparently happens in the final two days of the year. I guess we’re a nation of procrastinators. Fortunately, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, many nonprofit groups are seeing better fundraising results this year compared to 2010.
One interesting strategy I ran across this year was organized by the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy. The Council’s “Ways to Share . . . A Holiday Wish List” compiled organizations’ needs from around the state into one go-to resource for potential donors. Groups could list specific items they needed, as well as volunteer opportunities and a “big wish” item. Then, in addition to posting the resource on its own web site, the Council posted highlights from the list to its 450+ followers on Twitter and Facebook — making it very easy for donors to retweet or share on Facebook to their own social networks.
I’d love to see an association of museums or public history sites try a “history holiday wish list” or something similar. Sure, groups would be competing for donations, but we all know that we’re competing no matter what. Pooling marketing efforts just might reach a broader audience than individual organizations would reach on their own.
For other ideas for online fundraising, check out these tips for creating effective online campaigns. And for next year, make sure to investigate some of Mashable’s picks for the best online fundraising platforms.
Happy holidays, and happy fundraising.
The holiday season is upon us and in the museum/public history world it can be a challenging time. Do you decorate for Christmas? What about Hanukkah? Or Kwanzaa? Then there is programming. What kind of December programming is appropriate? A lot of these questions might already be answered for you if your institution is administered by a public entity such as a state, county or city. But for those of us who are in the non-profit world, December can bring some tricky propositions.
As private non-profit organizations, your mission should be your ultimate litmus test whether it is holiday recognitions or just day to day operations. Your strategic plan focuses your efforts toward achieving your mission and provides specific goals to work toward. I know that in my organization which has too few people for the myriad of needs that are to be met, the strategic plan helps everyone know where to apply limited resources.
But how, you say, does one look at a mission statement of a historical organization and come away knowing what do to for the holidays? Of course, you could just say, “it’s the holiday season people expect festive decorations and fun activities so what does it matter that it doesn’t serve the mission, it’s just once a year.” Maybe, like Colonial Williamsburg, your historic site has been doing the same type thing every year and if you deign to change it a hue and cry would arise from the public. (Who, by the way, may never darken your door at any other time of the year.)
This question occurred to me recently when I was visiting Colonial Williamsburg. There, buildings are decorated for Yuletide using natural materials. Evergreen wreaths are adorned with dried flowers and berries, swags are studded with oranges, door lintels are festooned with pineapples and pomegranates. There are whole fruit salads on the front of every house. And the visitors eat it up – not literally. (Honestly who would want to eat fruit that has florist’s wire jabbed through it and has been out in the damp and or freezing weather for weeks?) The tradition as it has come to be does not have roots in colonial holiday customs. They preferred to eat their fruit not hang it on their front door. It dates back to the earliest days of Colonial Williamsburg in the 1930s and speaks more about the Colonial Revival than actual colonial history. For a good article about this go to http://www.history.org/almanack/life/christmas/dec_doors.cfm
But woe to anyone who would suggest going toward a more historically accurate and for the most part austere decorating scheme. The thousands of visitors who travel every year to see the wreaths, roping and swags and who take part in special guided walking tours, purchase ready-made examples for their own homes and acquire special stands to make towers of apples for the centers of their tables would be scandalized. It would also mean a big hit in the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s wallet. After all the money spent in its stores, expended for tour tickets and hotel rooms all go to support some exceptionally good historical research and interpretation.
So does the end justify the means? Should we as non-profits cater to the public’s expectations for the holidays if it is ahistorical or misleading? Should we provide activities which do little to advance our organization’s mission but get people in the door in hopes of either a return visit or more importantly, to foster the feeling that the institution is a critical part of the community? If it is ok for the holiday season, where do you draw the line during the rest of the year?
I started this blog with a post called “The Civic Museum.” Civic engagement – it’s the lifeblood of a new vanguard of museums. These museums, big and small, are engaging with their communities on the issues that matter to them. They are finding new and creative ways to foster dialogue and reinforce relationships between people.
As community engagement becomes part of the basic mission of a museum, as it has at any increasing number of institutions, I wonder what’s on the horizon.
"The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center in San Antonio hosts a community protest."
Recently, I attended a conference where Graciela Sanchez from the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center in San Antonio talked about her work reclaiming the history of the Tejano community on the west side of the city. The Center is a “multi-issue cultural center;” they work to restore connections between the community and their history through community arts projects, historic preservation, and political advocacy. What Sanchez expressed so strikingly was that the historical pieces of the Center’s mission were secondary to the larger goal of advocating for their community and changing the culture of marginalization. History is one tool in their toolbox.
The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center isn’t a museum, but it’s easy to imagine museums taking on similar roles in their communities. Some already have. In October, a group of museums and gardens in Pittsburgh hosted a symposium, “Feeding the Spirit: Museums, Food, and Community.” They explored the ways in which smart, sustainable food choices could be central to the museum’s mission whether it’s through the café of the interpretation. These institions are joining in First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign, doing their part to promote healthy eating and active lifestyles among children and families. In fact, AAM’s Center for the Future of Museums has as their slogan “…because museums can change the world.”
When does civic engagement become activism? In most institutions, historic interpretation or artistic appreciation is still at the center of the mission. In the future, will these sites turn that balance on its head? What might it mean for museums – places which hold unique positions in the public trust – to advocate for certain constituencies? What is the activist museum and how should it function?
It may be a bit early for New Year’s resolutions, but it’s never a bad idea to build time into your professional life for learning new digital skills.
Fortunately, you have plenty of great options for building new digital humanities skills whether you’re looking for a semester-long class, a one-week seminar, a single lecture, or just a list of tips.
Before you get too far, look at local universities’ offerings for classes, professional development opportunities, lectures and events that may help fill in gaps in your knowledge or connect you with people who have the skills you seek.
You might also be interested in the classes offered at Digital Humanities Summer Institute, sponsored by the University of Victoria, Canada.
Next, check out what’s offered at upcoming conferences. Not surprisingly, many professional organizations host seminars or workshops in concert with regional or national meetings. See what’s offered by the National Council on Public History, Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations and American Association of Museums, among others, that focuses on new trends, new software and technology, and other useful professional development topics in the digital humanities.
Another great option is to seek out a THATCamp – the Technology and Humanities Camp. Created by the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, THATCamps are collaborative, productive “unconferences” where participants shape the agenda based on their own needs and interests. If you don’t see an upcoming session that works for you, you can propose organizing your own.
You can also skim through archived notes from past THATcamps online at each camp’s web site, like the one from September’s THATCamp Philly (there’s a list of more past events here). Of course, THATCamps are not alone in posting session materials online after the fact. For instance, the organizers of the annual Museums and the Web conferences post a selection of past conference papers online here.
If one group’s programming is over your head technologically, don’t be discouraged. There are plenty of options out there. You may want to check out some of the events listed here: “Conferences for Digital Humanities, Digital Archives, Digital Libraries, and Digital Museums.”
Last but not least, you may want to take the initiative to teach yourself some new skills. With some creative online searching, can find any number of forums, wikis, list-servs, digital books, articles, and more to walk you through how to develop a strong digital exhibit, how to encode text, how to use social media, and much more.
Last month I pondered the inequity between the support art organizations receive as compared to public history ones. I hope it led some of you to check into what the numbers are in your own state. When I first found out not only was state funding so disparate in Maryland but that the offices overseeing the distribution of that funding were in such different parts of the government, I was surprised and puzzled. Why is the arts council under the auspices of the Department of Business and Economic Development, Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts, when the historical trust is placed in the Office of Planning?
This indicates to me a couple of things. One, that the state recognizes the arts have a place in its overall efforts to encourage business, mostly I think through encouraging film makers to bring their productions to the state. The other is that there is some sort of disconnect between the value of history to tourism and the economy. Here in Maryland, and I wager in your states, we hear a lot about heritage tourism. Those in the tourism industry say people who are mainly interested in historical activities and in visiting historic sites and museums not only spend more money than average tourists, but also stay longer. So wouldn’t it make sense to place the agency representing those sites that are so attractive to tourists under the Division of Tourism as well?
But enough about state funding. What about public perception? After all, we non-profits get most of our money from donations by individuals, memberships and contributions from private foundations and businesses. I’ve brought up the topic of unequal monetary support with colleagues and friends to see what they had to say. In a very unscientific review of the issue, I found that among the general public (those who aren’t in “the business” ) there is little distinction between art museums and history museums – they consider both to belong under the heading “arts & culture.” Unfortunately, in reality the culture in arts & culture rarely includes history.
Among the general public, as well as among my artist friends and art-related non-profit counterparts, the fact that history isn’t at least funded the same as them, if not better, comes as a surprise. I still remember the incredulous look on the face of the executive director of one arts organization to whom I mentioned this disparity. We have all heard of the “starving artist” but “starving public historians” are real but not recognized.
I’ve heard a number of theories as to why the arts are funded, on the whole, at a much higher level than history. Some have said it is the prestige. Getting to go to glitzy galas, hobnobbing with wealthy art collectors, opera aficionados and symphony supporters, help to elevate one’s perception of one’s position in the community. Supporting the arts brings a civilizing effect to the community. I think that might be part of it, but I also think it has a lot to do with money and fame. After all, if you support a theater you never know if one of the actors will become a Hollywood star, if you support a film festival one of those film makers just might be another Steven Spielberg, that starving artist just might be the next Andy Warhol. When did you last hear of a millionaire historian?
