286 Search Results Found for

  • Community engagement across disciplinary boundaries

      For most of my experience as a public-historian-in-training, I did not often think about the arts in any purposeful way.  I played in an orchestra from elementary school through college, have a not-so-secret love for musicals (my roommates are probably tired of hearing me sing Disney songs in the shower!), and enjoy visiting art […]

  • Competing histories or hidden transcripts? The sources we use

    In January, History@Work published Heather Carpini’s important essay on competing histories. Carpini’s appeal for historians to dig “deeper, past the obvious sources, into the lives of the people who shaped, and were shaped by, a certain place” is an essential call to action. This values- and human-centered approach to historic preservation is gaining traction. In […]

  • Considering relevance

    Does your organization think about relevance often? It should. Every history organization or department should constantly be thinking of ways to be more relevant to its various constituencies, from visitors coming through your doors to parents of potential students. But what does relevance mean? A basic definition: relevance is the condition of being related or […]

  • Inquiring minds want to know: Speaking to the public about museum collections management

    We all know that people are curious about the stories behind objects and the events and people those objects represent. And as public historians, we are in the business of bringing those stories to light. Yet, after doing collections management for over twenty-five years, I have learned that people are equally curious about the creative […]

  • Editors’ conversation on Pittsburgh

    Editors’ Note: The History@Work editors thought our readers might be interested in the following conversation prompted by the attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh on October 27, 2018. Will Walker: Adina, do you think you could write something about Pittsburgh that connects to the history of U.S. anti-Semitism and violence?

  • (Re)Active Public History: NCPH Twitter Mini-Con

    As you may have noticed in Public History News, NCPH is excited to announce that our first ever NCPH Twitter Mini-Con will be taking place October 18-19, 2018. The theme for the conference is (Re)Active Public History, and is rooted in a desire to critically discuss the active ways that public historians engage with the public, […]

  • Sexual harassment and gender discrimination in public history

    I was a nineteen-year-old intern at a nonprofit organization working on educational programs. My direct supervisor was a man in his 30s. We shared an office, which meant it was hard to avoid his flirtatious comments, like when he asked me to “try out some mattresses with him.” When my internship ended, he took me […]

  • History is getting off with light duty

    “History@Work” is an apt title for this blog and a metaphor for a lot of the work that public historians do. But, history seems to be getting off with light duty in the arena of public discussion these days.

  • Touring with Empire Logistics Group

    Editor’s note: This post continues a series featuring contributions from members of the NCPH Board of Directors. Lately I’ve been performing my public history. Several times this spring I’ve donned a business suit and silk blouse, straightened my blonde(ish) hair, and adopted the cheerful demeanor of a corporate publicist. Introducing myself as a Principal and […]

  • Editors’ conversation on interpreting immigration, Part 1

    Editors’ Note: Four years ago, outgoing NCPH president Bob Weyeneth called on public historians to “pull back the curtain” on their process. Turning topics of contemporary relevance into public history involves numerous collegial conversations which usually remain behind the scenes. The History@Work editors thought our readers might be interested in the following conversation prompted by Adina […]