By Hilary Bergen, Historian & Certified Interpretive Planner In the midst of a public health crisis, museums and cultural institutions are more important than ever. Museums are much more than four walls and a roof. They are trusted sources of …
Genealogy: The Branches of Historical Storytelling
By Jenna Hill, Historian When Roots: The Saga of an American Family, based on the novel by Alex Haley, aired over eight nights in January 1977, it captivated millions, ignited important conversations about race, and transformed genealogical research. The miniseries—a …
Make the Trip Online: Virtual Experiences that Bring History to You
By Scott Vierick, Historian The shift towards accessible, digital experiences that many historic sites, cultural institutions, and museums have embraced to share their collections, histories, and stories with a broader audience has perhaps never seemed more important. As the response …
“See” You There: A Virtual Panel Presentation for the National Council on Public History
By Emily Sullivan, Historian This weekend, the 40th annual conference of the National Council on Public History (NCPH) was to be held in Atlanta, Georgia. HAI has a special connection to the organization—one of our co-founders, Phil Cantelon, is also …
Chronicling Health and History: HAI’s Decades-Long Collaboration with the NIH
By Scott Vierick, Historian For the past few months, HAI has been working with historians at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on a panel presentation for the Society for History in the Federal Government’s (SHFG) annual conference. HAI has …
Celebrating a Homegrown Hero: The Jimmy Carter National Historic Site Opens in Plains, Georgia
By Hilary Bergen, Historian, Certified Interpretive Planner Imagine your hometown high school became a museum about your life. How would you feel? What would you want visitors to know? What would your hometown say about you? On Presidents’ Day 2020, …
What’s in a Name? How Place Names Reveal Our History
Builders have always laid claim to historical memory. Early settlers adopted variations of names coined by Native Americans; later generations took on the names of disappearing farms, fields, and mills. More recently, real estate developers have learned that place names …
The Power of a Picture: How Images Engage Visitors at the New Statue of Liberty Museum
The stereograph shows the Statue of Liberty’s oddly disembodied hand rising up from a tent, holding the flaming torch. Two people can be seen standing at the railing encircling the sculptured flame. The attraction was part of the 1876 Centennial …
AAM2019 – American Alliance of Museums Conference – Recap of Day 2
This is a second in a series of posts covering the American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting in New Orleans (AAM2019). This year’s event is focused on how museums and cultural institutions can remain relevant, engaging, and inclusive in an …
AAM2019 – American Alliance of Museums Conference – Recap of Day 1
The American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting this year in New Orleans (AAM2019) is focused on how museums and cultural institutions can connect with the communities they serve in new ways. My colleagues, Phoebe McDougal, Carly Swaim, and Laura Starr …
Unfreezing 1923: How the Reopening of the Public Domain Opens Doors for Museums
After a 20-year freeze, a flood of new content is now available in the public domain: iconic films like Charlie Chaplin’s The Pilgrim, riveting reads by Willa Cather and H.G. Wells, remarkable works by M.C. Escher and Henri Matisse, and …
Behind the Scenes: Insights of an Interpretive Planner
Interview with Halley Fehner, CIP, Content Director, Exhibits and Interpretive Planning How did your background influence your decision to become an Interpretive Planner? I come from a history-loving family who also really like to hike, so we visited a lot …