Week 4: Preservation and Public History

Mike Wallace’s essay, “Preserving the Past: A History of Historical Preservation in the United States,” discusses the history and struggle historical preservation faced in America.  From the colonial era to the present, Americans have had little incentive to preserve the past, instead favoring profit over preservation.  Early forms of preservation were headed by private individuals and groups who would buy up the historic buildings, urge laws to be passed for historic districts, or used the doctrine of “adaptive reuse” to make use of historical building. (189) Wallace makes note that the preservationists continue to struggle in today’s world. 

Courtesy of American Architecture. Independence Hall, Philadelphia

Wallace’s “Preservation Revisited,” focuses on how changes in America reshaped and drastically altered the success historical preservation had seen in the 1980’s.  The changed in tax breaks that preservationists and those who preserved historical buildings and sites and the “property rights” movement, “dramatically reshaped the preservation landscape.” (224).  The rest of the essay discusses the changes to preservationist practices through three main ways.  First was to pry open the definition of historic, second called for the “economic revitalization of cities,” and third was to align with groups that were fighting for the environment and the preservation of endangered species and open spaces. (232)

Wallace goes in depth on his essays on historical preservation and clearly explains how preservationists made strides through the years even though they faced much controversy.  His editorial in his essays clearly voices his opinion on the matter of historical preservation.  He also gives his opinion about what the future may hold for historical preservationists and what mistakes he believed they made in the past.

Antoinette J. Lee’s essay “Historic Preservationists and Cultural Resources Managers: Preserving America’s Historic Places,” discusses what historical preservationists and cultural resource manager jobs entail.  Cultural research management is defined by the National Park Service as, “range of activities aimed at understanding, preserving, and providing for the enjoyment of cultural resources.” (130) A preservation historian not only does research and documentation on a site, but must also be able to provide written descriptions of physical evidence and “justify their evaluation of the historical significance of a property in ways that can move the listener” to support the properties preservation. (133) Lee also makes note of the issues that historical preservationists face, the type of education many receive, and what the future may hold for this profession.  This essay is very well written and very informative, giving the reader an understanding of what a person going into this field can expect. 

Courtesy of National Park Service. Historical Interpreters

Mark Howell’s “Interpreters and Museum Educators: Beyond the Blue Hairs,” essay discusses the job description of a museum interpreter and educator and what it takes to become a great one.  A good museum interpreter gets to know their visitors and decides what history to interpret depending on their audience.  The primary function for those in this field, is to be able to show the “interrelationships between objects, spaces, and the persons who once used them” and being able to place them in historical context. (145) Howell also discusses how difficult it can be to make a living as a historical interpreter as few museums can afford to hire a full-time interpreter, instead hiring seasonal or relying on volunteers.  Howell’s essay is very informative and he makes it interesting in how he gives examples almost like he is trying to dispel the belief that historical interpreters are all a bunch of “blue hairs.” (154)

The web readings for this week were really surprising.  The content of the letter Professor Cebula received from Patricia Pangloss was unexpected.  It is understandable that some of the history surrounding the house and its residents would be excluded to fit what the visitors want to learn or hear about.   What was really shocking was for Mrs. Pangloss to say that Professor Cebula should “stop bringing into the 21^st century all this negativism.”  To teach all parts of American history is not teaching people hate and negativism.  This is our history, we should be proud of our history, maybe not everything that occurred, but it is important that people are taught our whole history and not just the good parts that people like.