RONALD BROWN, TOURO COLLEGE
Proposal Type
Traditional Panel
Seeking
- Seeking Additional Presenters
- Seeking Specific Expertise
- Seeking General Feedback and Interest
Related Topics
- Government Historians
- Memory
- Museums/Exhibits
Abstract
Events following 9/11 unfolded with earth shattering speed. The New-York Historical Society immediately organized an ongoing 9/11 exhibit. Like all Americans, docents were exposed to every event reported in the national newspapers, television reports, and official spokespersons. However, in contrast to this ever evolving and carefully crafted official narrative of 9/11 events, Historical Society docents were exposed to a wealth of rumors, hearsay, and personal accounts by native New Yorkers that were carefully excluded from the official narrative. This paper will highlight the unique role of docents in the experiencing and crafting of alternative narratives to major current events.
Description
This proposal will ideally form part of a broader panel on the importance of museum and historical society docents in reporting and chronicling major events in history from a local perspective. Unlike the carefully vetted and crafted reports in newspapers, television, radio, and Internet, the day to day encounter with local residents provides the docent with grass roots accounts of daily life during and after tragic events such as 9/11. This paper will highlight many of the local accounts of 9/11 events that emerged during period but were filtered out of the official narrative of the event formulated by officials in Washington. These accounts reflect the disconnect between the official Washington narrative of 9/11 and the local, New York City narrative as fashioned by docents.
If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly: Ronald Brown, [email protected]
All feedback and offers of assistance should be submitted by July 1, 2019. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.
Hi Ronald, this may be an obvious suggestion, but I was wondering if you had reached out to the 9/11 Museum for an additional presenter. I understand that one of the Museum’s challenges is attracting local visitors (over out-of-state and international tourists). Your proposal made me think that, perhaps, one of the reasons that this continues to be a challenge for them could be how they consider or present local narratives/perspectives. I wonder how they dealt with this in the process of creating the museum, and if this might be of interest to bring into the conversation. Sometimes it’s helpful if multiple sites share their process in how they dealt with the topic. I’m happy to connect you with someone there, if you are interested.
Jennifer,
Yes this is a good suggestion. I am in San Juan at the World History Association convention.
I will follow up on this when I return to NYC next Tuesday.
Ron Brown
I am now back in NYC and visited the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
I am reaching out to the director of docents but was informed that this is a long and highly regulated process.
As a government memorial and museum docents are strictly controlled and not free to participate in such meetings without authorization.
I will submit my revised proposal by July 15 deadline.
If possible a panel could include docents, museum guides, and other employees.
Hi, Ronald–
It would seem to me that given the title of your paper and aspirations for the panel, that the current docent coordinator at the New-York Historical Society or a staff member that was involved with the docents there during 9/11 should be on this panel for accuracy and depth–or else this might become even more of an exercise in disseminating hearsay. Some senior staff members at the 9/11 Museum were indeed part of the N-YHS staff back then, so their perspective/s would be key for retrospection as well as introspection. I know first-hand that the task of “professionalizing” a docent cadre and providing its members with proper training not only in content but in fielding questions has been part of an ongoing effort at N-YHS to align docents’ knowledge base and authority with larger curatorial and institutional goals.
Hi Ronald,
I’m not sure if you’re aware of the New York Transit Museum but they had a physical exhibit that is now a digital exhibit called “Bringing Back the City” and is all about the MTA’s response to crises, including 9/11. This could be of interest as the impact of 9/11 on New York transit systems is a very local issue and the exhibit includes testimony from real MTA workers about their experiences. Perhaps reaching out to a docent there might be helpful as well, as that museum largely focuses on local history and attracts local visitors.
I think this is a very interesting topic and one that many museums that find their community faced with tragedy. It might be interesting to hear from differnet museums across the country that have faced similar questions and how they have delt with it. I know that the Orange County Regional History Center worked through this with oral history from the community and had an exhibit.
All,
Thank you for your insightful comments.
I believe docents and exhibit guides are a highly unappreciated group of historians.
I have revised my proposal to stress the unique perspective of 9/11 that New York City residents have and their exposure to and participation in the crafting of diverse 9/11 narratives.
You are all correct that other docents, guides, and museum workers should be included.
I have contacted the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in NY and am still awating a response.
If anyone can suggest another participant in this field at such short notice, I would appreciate it.
I will submit a revised proposal by July 15.
Thanks again for your encouragement and contributions.
Ron Brown