The Future of Public History

This week’s readings examined the present trends in various cultural markets, including museums, national parks, historic sites, and musical productions, and discussed the effects those trends will have in the future. Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance published “Arts, Culture, and Economic Prosperity in Greater Philadelphia” in 2012 and their “2011 Portfolio” to identify the status of cultural markets in the area. The study showed the effect of the shaky economy on different organizations, but as a student anticipating graduation and beginning a job-hunt in the field, some of the results weren’t as dismal as I anticipated. First, in “2011 Portfolio,” history-related institutions maintained the highest attendance. Reading this caused me to smile slightly, though I know it does not mean the current situation of historical museums and sites in the area is great. The study also found that while attendance increased and prices stayed stable, revenues dropped. Many cultural organizations are struggling financially. This led many organizations to defer necessary maintenance just to keep their doors open. As an intern in the field, I have witnessed this first hand.

In “Coming Soon: The Future: That Shape of Museums to Come,” James Chung, Susie Wilkening, and Sally Johnstone asked which of today’s trends are most likely to shape the world, and thus museums, of the future. The authors made smart observations about the growth of minorities and the need for museums to reach these new communities. They suggest this not only because engaging with the community is an important task of any museum, but because those minority groups will become a large portion of voters deciding whether or not to fund museums in the future. They also discussed the future role of women in museums and the possibility of women becoming their largest percent of visitors, volunteers, and even donors. But while the authors suggested that museums must change their roles in the community in order to evolve with the world around them, the authors did not offer readers any specific suggestions as to how to go about that. I know that every museum and its surrounding communities are unique, but some of the discussion felt incomplete—like a professor assigning a large project, but giving little direction for guidelines to complete it. Still, the points the authors made are certainly thought provoking and, even if they only convince museum professionals that change is imminent, helpful.

The final reading, Imperiled Promise: The State of History in the National Park Service (Part I) examines the history of history in the National Park Service and makes suggestions for improving NPS’s history work in the future. The authors assert that the National Park Service was founded to preserve, interpret, and instruct the American public on historic places in the United States. But from the introduction of history to the NPS in the 1930s, the agency has kept history and the rest of the services separate. The authors suggest that historians at the NPS begin and maintain dialogues with academic historians to keep up with trends. Each of the readings, while pointing out problems in the world of public history, make suggestions for a brighter future that will hopefully create a more involved and informed public.