Scholarly and public histories: a case study of Lincolnshire, agriculture and museums
Creators: name: Hunt, Abigail
Publisher: name: University of Lincoln
Year: 2023
Subjects: P131 - Museum studies
V140 - Modern history
V214 - English history

description: This thesis is an exploration of the complex relationship between academic,popular and museum histories. A central theme to the research is that nostalgiacurrently keeps these categories of history quite separate from one another, asacademic historians are critical of the use of nostalgia in presenting the past,whereas popular histories are often steeped in nostalgia, as are historicalnarratives presented in museums. I argue that nostalgia and nostalgic sourcesshould not be viewed as problematic by historians, but embraced simply asanother type of historical source. Popular histories, rich in nostalgia, and oftenreliant on memories should also be considered more favourably by academicsas they serve to engage people with historical narratives as both contributorsand consumers. The inclusion of nostalgic sources, such as memoirs and oralhistories, in historical narratives can also result in the production of new orrelative histories, which enrich the historical past presented to us, and open upfresh debates on well covered topics. Nor is nostalgia problematic in museumsas it helps visitors relate to, and understand, the stories presented to them.Nostalgia can also motivate people to donate objects to museums, andtherefore to have an active role in how the past is represented within museums.Once again this serves to produce a more complex narrative for the visitor thatcan broaden our understanding of the past.These ideas are presented through two case studies of agricultural change inLincolnshire between 1850 and 1980, and a case study of museums in thecounty. The historical narratives were produced using a range of primary andsecondary sources, including oral histories and memoirs. The inclusion of non-iitraditional sources aided in the production of new accounts of changes in thelabour patterns of women and children, and of increased mechanisation duringthe period. Both chapters reposition agricultural modernity in history,demonstrating that the shift from traditional to modern practices did not occurimmediately after World War Two, but over a period of 30 years from the 1930sto the 1960s.The museological case study explores how the past is represented in museumsand the factors that shape this. Museums in Lincolnshire were surveyed, andprofessionals working in them were interviewed, to ascertain how they presenthistorical narratives around agricultural changes, and how nostalgia relates tothis. It was found that nostalgia had very little impact on how the past waspresented in the museums, but the processes of donation and collection, thelack of specialist knowledge in the sector, and external political factors had asignificant impact on the presentation of the past in these institutions.The thesis argues that those involved with academic, popular, and museumhistories should work collaboratively to explore ways of incorporating nostalgicsources into historical narratives to develop new interpretations of the past.They should also work in partnership to move away from the traditionalmuseological ‘nostalgia debate’ to resolve the issues that currently affect howthe past is presented in museums.