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 …
Start Your Museum CMS Selection Process with a Needs Assessment
Museums and cultural institutions use a database system better known as a collections management system (CMS) to help care for their collection of archives, historical objects, and artifacts. Galleries, museums and even libraries use a museum CMS to track and …
Found in the Garcia Archives: Inspiration from a Notable Civil Rights Leader
In 2016, History Associates began working with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi to process and digitize a unique archival collection from Dr. Hector P. Garcia — a prominent champion of civil rights for veterans and Mexican-Americans in the late 20th century. …
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 …
The Modern Museum: Trends in Cultural Institutions
Museums and historical sites are keepers of the past, but the ways they convey and share stories are constantly evolving. Today, institutions are actively redefining what it means to be a steward of history by updating interpretation, broadening audiences, and …
A Day in the Life of an Archivist: Processing the Garcia Papers
More Product, Less Process – Interview with Erica Williams, Archivist and Records Manager What is your role at History Associates? I’ve been an archivist at History Associates for 11 years now. It was my first job out of grad school. …
Stories from the Archives: The Personal Papers of Dr. Hector P. Garcia
In 1949, a single act of discrimination galvanized the Mexican-American civil rights movement. The widow of an American serviceman killed in action was denied use of a chapel for funeral services because her husband, Felix Z. Longoria, was Hispanic. First-hand …
Making the Most of Milestones: Four Tips for Creating Effective History Timelines
With its 35th anniversary approaching, History Associates faced a question that will be familiar to many companies and institutions—how to mark the occasion. How best to highlight events in our past, while also telling a story about who we are …
The Power of a Picture: Navigating High Resolution Image Acquisition and Licensing
Graphics provide powerful snapshots of historic events. We can all think of images that transported us back in time. Do you shiver for those determined patriots crossing the icy Delaware River beside George Washington? Or feel distressed by the mother’s …
Behind the scenes on the Road to Tokyo: Telling the story of America’s WWII War in the Pacific
Road to Tokyo: Pacific Theater Galleries opened at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans last December after more than two years of intense work by a team of Museum staff, media producers, designers, fabricators, and content developers. History Associates …