Public History and its Uses

Lately I've been looking into online resources asking the all-important question: "What is Public History?" I have to admit that before taking this course, I had never even heard of Public History, much less that it was offered as degree programs throughout the world! From what I have read, Public History is collecting information for a specific historical project and making it available to a wider audience through the use of digital technology (Cohen). Online exhibitions are an example of Public History projects.


This semester I am also fortunate enough to be taking a Digital Storytelling course, where occasionally the worlds of digital stories and Public History blend. The overall purpose feels similar - To tell a story effectually to a distant, virtual viewer. I think it is important to keep in mind while designing your online exhibition that the there are no walls, no architecture, and no museum staging to give the viewer that feeling they are standing in a museum. It is a website, and you have to make it feel as if it were a museum. Make them feel as it they were unlocking a door or opening a book.

"Within These Walls", DC Metrocentric, 2009.

One online exhibition that really captured my attention was entitled, "Within These Walls: 1 House, 5 Families, 200 Years of History" offered through the Smithsonian American History Museum (Website address: http://americanhistory.si.edu/house/). This opened my eyes as to how effective online storytelling can be. "Within These Walls" lists the five families known to live in the house. What makes this exhibition so special is what is included in each families history. The curator/designer of the virtual exhibition plays music specific to each families' time period; artifacts such as teapots and dolls from the family are scrolling at the bottom of the page; floor plans of the house are displayed to the right hand side of the window, acting almost as a key to a map; and also, while a brief history is given on the families, there is a link at the top of the screen beckoning you to read on... what position did the head of the household have in the community? It is wonderfully designed, and something I hope to keep in mind while creating my website.

Speaking of websites, I am a little worried about creating mine for this project by the end of next month. I haven't had much experience in website design, but I want to make this project as effective to my viewers as the "Within These Walls" was to me. I've come to appreciate the significance of Public History much more... through the use of technology, we are keeping history alive and in the minds of today's society.

Works Cited:

Cohen, Daniel, and Roy Rosenzweig. "Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web." Center for History and New Media. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://chnm.gmu.edu/digitalhistory/>.

DC Metrocentric. Within These Walls. Digital image. DC Metrocentric Government. 28 Jan. 2009. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://dcmetrocentric.com/category/government/page/6/>.

"Within These Walls - Home." National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institute. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://americanhistory.si.edu/house/home.asp>.