Public History
American History Workshop produces public programs to connect Americans with their past. Among our clients are museums, historical societies, historic districts, parks and gardens, filmmakers, public agencies, businesses, citizens’ groups, television stations, and others involved in interpreting history.
We produce: full development plans for young or growing museums; collections management and public programs evaluations; scripts, design and technical production of multi-media presentations; interpretive exhibits and educational programs; evaluations of public programs; guide books, catalogues, local histories and other publications; and historical research reports in American politics and society, business and labor, families and communities, ethnic groups, cities and regions, and the development of art and architecture.
Six Interpretive Principles
American History Workshop believes that interpretation is a synthesis of many domains of knowledge. Engaging a diverse public successfully means knowing how to bring together wisdom in all these different areas. Read More
Meeting the Client’s Challenge: Projects
American History Workshop prides itself on coming up with radically fresh approaches to our clients’ challenges. Perhaps a permanent exhibit turns out to be the wrong way to engage a predominantly local audience in a hot-button issue. Maybe conventional artifact labels will in effect keep visitors from actually looking at the objects displayed. Maybe the museum staff is not as well equipped as a community group to manage the complementary public programs. Could it be that an annual contest in local schools would supply key interpretive elements to a local museum’s program and thereby build up community involvement? Read More
Planning Tools
American History Workshop uses a unique set of tools in its planning and design work. Read More
Media
American History Workshop uses audio and video installations in many of its exhibition design projects. We find audio helps us to convey the stories of historical characters in a succinct and dramatic way. It is also an extremely cost effective means of adding emotionally compelling interpretation to an exhibition.
Listen Here
What Other People Say
Testimonials and insights from leaders in the industry. Read More
