The traditional model of living historical education often relies heavily on passive observation – visitors read panels, view artifacts behind glass, or listen to reenactors perform a task. However, a different approach is emerging, transforming these passive experiences into dynamic, hands-on learning opportunities that engage multiple senses and create deeper connections to historical narratives whileContinue reading “The Power of Active Engagement”
Tag Archives: history
Beautiful Burdens: A Generational Shift in Collections Care
“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”
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”
Rockets and Doughnuts
The morning unfolded through spaces both intimate and shared. Jaxson raced across the playground, confident and free, before we settled on a park bench to watch the world pass by. Elderly couples ambled past, teenagers laughed in clusters, and families hurried to weekend activities – each group writing their own momentary story across the publicContinue reading “Rockets and Doughnuts”
The Disposable Monument: Finding Truth in Transient Memory
The act of remembering is never neutral. As I’ve watched different cultures and institutions create monuments to commemorate historical violence and genocide, I’ve found myself increasingly troubled by the underlying dynamics at play. There seems to be an unspoken assumption that memorialization somehow balances the scales of history – as if acknowledging past wrongs throughContinue reading “The Disposable Monument: Finding Truth in Transient Memory”
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”
One-night Stand: Living in the Shadows of a Diagram
I entered this one-night stand in a state of transition, personally and professionally. I hoped an overnight stay at the Pope Villa would take my mind off my situation and redirect my thinking outward. No such luck. Pope Villa, located in Lexington, Kentucky, was designed in 1811 by Benjamin Henry Latrobe for Senator John PopeContinue reading “One-night Stand: Living in the Shadows of a Diagram”
Twisted Preservation 