If anything can be more precise, audience and public history are two intertwined topics. Not only does public history seek to begin engaging its audience, but it seeks to make them a crucial part of the research process. Robert J. Grele, in “Whose Public? Whose History? What is the Goal of a Public Historian?” states, “By its name, public history implies a major redefinition of the
\nrole of the historian. It promises us a society in which a broad public participates in constructing its own history. The name
\nconjures up images of a new group of historical workers interpreting the past of heretofore ignored classes of people. It seems to
\nanswer the question of whose public? whose history? with a democratic declaration of a faith in members of the public at large to
\nbecome their own historians and to advance their knowledge of
\nthemselves.” (Grele 48).<\/p>\n
Public history allows the audience to interact directly with the researcher, and with this, they can share their experiences, points of view, and essential elements that will enable the viewer to have the best experience. The project created by Sheila Brennan and Sharon Leon, which examined the history of the National Mall, highlights this experience with their ideas to create an accessible mobile walking path project. This factors in the users’ needs and includes the technology that would reach the most people.<\/p>\n
This is also directly seen in projects involving museums, such as the project undertaken by Katharine Corbett in the article “A Shared Inquiry into Shared Inquiry.” When she first her project on the 1904 Worlds Fair, her vision as a historian completely differed from what the public wanted from the exhibit. She states, “The stories public historians want to tell are sometimes not the stories
\nthe public wants to hear.” (Corbett and Miller 22). Historians often create projects that engage their research and other scholars in the field. However, with public historians and engagement with the public, these projects can reach new heights in research and connection. Empathy, understanding, and extensibility are keys to including a wider audience and allowing your content as a public historian to be viewed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If anything can be more precise, audience and public history are two intertwined topics. Not only does public history seek to begin engaging its audience, but it seeks to make them a crucial part of the research process. Robert J. Grele, in “Whose Public? Whose History? What is the Goal of a Public Historian?” states, … Continue reading Audience and Content<\/span>