What does a Public Historian do?

Public historians usually work in two general fields:

I. Historical Resources Management -- the collection, preservation
and interpretation of historical materials in public and private
institutions such as museums, archives, historical societies,
historic houses, preservation agencies, parks and media
organizations.

A. Museum professionals and historical interpreters develop
exhibitions and other educational programs for museums,
historical societies, parks and historic houses;
administer these institutions; collect and care for
historic artifacts; maintain historic sites; and engage in
historical research on the community, state and national
level.

B. Archivists and records managers examine historical
documents, develop finding aids that make the records
accessible and meaningful to researchers, propose
research subjects and create document retention policies.

C. Historical editors edit historical documents, essays,
articles and books for publication.

D. Historic preservationists prepare inventories, surveys and
evaluations of historic properties, assist in the development of

environmental impact surveys, examine and disseminate information

on state and local statutes and draft and evaluate national register

nominations.

E. Media Historians conduct historical research for film,
electronic and print media presentations, edit and publish
print or video productions.

II. Applied Research the use of historical analysis in
client-initiated research such as problem solving, policy
evaluation and the preparation of institutional histories for
businesses, organizations and government agencies.

A. Private historical consultants work for a multitude of
employers in the private and public sectors on projects
that vary from a few hours of historical reference
investigation or genealogical research to months of
historical research in preparation for legal action in
replevin cases or the settlement of land claims.

B. Government historians prepare policy analysis histories,
record retention programs, and agency or institutional
histories that often evaluate effectiveness over the years.
The Census Bureau, the FBI and the U. S. House of
Representatives, for instance, are government agencies that
have recently employed historians.

C. Corporate historians (and archivists study the history of
corporate decisions, analyze corporate policy, prepare
retention schedules and write institutional histories that
alert businessmen to previous corporate actions and serve
as morale builders.

The historian’s ability to examine vast amounts and kinds of
material, assimilate its importance and develop a coherent
interpretation of the past is tremendously valuable in today’s
fast-paced world of business and government that engages in' a
multitude of activities and generates tons of documents.

The goal of Public History is to create a useable past for a broader
and increasingly more diverse audience.