Title: The changing face of public history : the Chicago Historical Society and the transformation of an American museum /
Authors: Lewis, Catherine M.
Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press,
Year: 2005
Subjects: Chicago Historical Society.; Historical museums Illinois Chicago.; Public history Illinois Chicago.
Abstract: "Spurred first by the civil rights debates of the 1960s and '70s, then by the culture wars of the following decades, the Chicago Historical Society (CHS) increasingly sought to give visitors and patrons a voice in retelling the city's history. In response to debates over the authority to interpret the past, CHS engaged in community outreach and sponsored multicultural exhibits and programs. Yet, in this analysis of the society's evolving relationship with its diverse constituencies, Catherine M. Lewis finds that prevailing assumptions about the museum as a commemorative site dedicated to civic pride undermined CHS's bold attempts to create a public forum."
Contents: Introduction : from temple to forum -- Decades of change -- The first act -- We the people as an agent of change -- Transition years, 1987-1993 -- The neighborhoods project -- Unfinished business -- Epilogue.