Mobile history: Bread and community

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This summer I prepared to facilitate a series of introductory public history workshops for fellow students in my graduate history program at Princeton. In thinking about how to present a range of formats and venues for public history, I planned to highlight alternatives to the usual, institution-hosted projects–an important message on a hidebound campus such as mine. Read More

Professional opportunities Oct. 22, 2013

AWARD: The Society for History in the Federal Government (SHFG) seeks entries for its 2014 Thomas Jefferson Prize for research tools aid (e.g., inventory, index, finding aid, biographical directory, bibliography) published in 2012 or 2013.
DEADLINE:  Nov. 15, 2013

CFP:  Historical Encounters | New History Education Journal is a new open access, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal dedicated to the empirical and theoretical study of historical consciousness, historical cultures, and history education. Read More

Race, politics, and property: Two cases of gentrification (Part 1)

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I moved to Decatur, Georgia, six years ago, after 25 years living in a small neighbourhood of Cape Town, South Africa, called Muizenberg.  David Rotenstein’s recent blog posts  about his experience in Decatur – which led to his abandoning the suburb – struck me as an interesting opportunity to compare and contrast the politics of gentrification in the two places. Read More

Professional opportunities Oct. 15, 2013

ANNCT: Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and Heritage Preservation announce launch of second Heritage Health Index (HHI II) with Lesley A. Langa as director.

CFP:  New Goethe Institute blog “Shaping the Humanities” offers young researchers a platform to network and publish their work within three thematic complexes:  “Culture and Climate,” “Culture and Conflict,” and “Culture and Public Space.” Read More

Growing things at historic sites

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I’ve written before about  differences  I see between education and engagement as strategies (and goals) for programming at cultural sites. Two features crucial to making programs “engaging” as well as “educational” are:
  1. The inclusion of activities that encourage visitors to use multiple senses and their full concentration, freeing the mind from other thoughts and distractions; and
  2. Information or activities that cause some type of positive change in individuals beyond their visit to the site.
Read More

Professional opportunities Oct. 8, 2013

ANNCT: Chicago-area teacher and genealogist announces Kickstarter campaign being launched to fund a television documentary based on submitted family history stories.

AWARD:  Blue and Gray Education Society Excellence in Public History Award for an outstanding public history project completed and made available to the public in 2012 or 2013 that enhances public awareness and understanding of the Civil War era, including the events leading to the war and its direct consequences. Read More