“Pretty things, so what if I like pretty things” Pretty Things, Rufus Wainwright As a museum professional and public historian with over two decades of experience in collections care and archive organization, I’ve witnessed firsthand how our relationship with cultural heritage materials evolves. My career has focused on creating unified, accessible collections from dispersed materialsContinue reading “Beautiful Burdens: A Generational Shift in Collections Care”
Tag Archives: culture
The Afterlife of Buildings
Like undertakers preparing a body for viewing, heritage conservationists often find themselves in the curious position of preserving something that has already died. Yet this preservation is further complicated by a generational paradox: those doing the preserving are typically not those who knew the “body” when it was alive. Instead, each generation becomes the caretakerContinue reading “The Afterlife of Buildings”
Performative Authenticity
Recently, while attending a drag brunch, I was struck by an unexpected parallel between the hyper-feminine (or masculine) presentation of drag performance and the carefully curated aesthetics of American historical landmarks. I realized that both practices engage in cultural amplification that transcends mere imitation to create something more theatrical and pointed than their original inspiration.Continue reading “Performative Authenticity”
Excavating Inequality
As the author of these essays – which I began writing in 2020 and have continued to develop through thoughtful feedback and reflection – I’ve attempted to explore systemic bias within heritage conservation and historic preservation. My nine interconnected theses suggest we must examine our field’s fundamental assumptions about preservation work, including how our currentContinue reading “Excavating Inequality”
Artificial Intelligence: Preservation, Destruction, and Cultural Intelligence
Attending Pratt’s conference on “Preservation in a Time of Precarity: Intersecting Indigenous Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence” laid bare the profound complexities of AI as both a preserver and a transformer of cultural heritage. The day’s discussions examined how our relationship with AI technology mirrors many of humanity’s historical patterns – it can either amplify ourContinue reading “Artificial Intelligence: Preservation, Destruction, and Cultural Intelligence”
Layers of Self: Identities in Transition
Like a person, a neighborhood carries the weight of its history in its name – a linguistic fossil that can outlive its original meaning. The Meatpacking District is now a paradox: a place defined by an industry that will soon be completely absent from its streets. This phenomenon creates what we might call a “nomenclatureContinue reading “Layers of Self: Identities in Transition”
Nothing & Everything
As I walk past the white clapboard building on the corner, watching workers shore up its failing foundation with temporary beams and plywood barriers, I can’t help but feel a deep unease about what will emerge when the work is done. I’ve spent years studying and working in preservation, always wrestling with this fundamental tensionContinue reading “Nothing & Everything”
Twisted Preservation 