Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities Starting a Museum

Cross Ties, Fall 2008/Vol. 3, No. 3, Starting a Small Museum: What is Essential? is What Museum: Small a Starting 3, 2008/Vol.No. Fall Ties,3, Cross Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities Rutgers University-Camden

Volume 3, No. 3 Fall 2008

Starting a Museum: What is essential and what is not? Battman Studios Battman One of the more interesting findings is that U. S. museum to mix interpreted and live formal planning played a very minor role. collections in a nearly-natural setting. Two of the four museums I studied began The Center pioneered the hybrid approach, with no planning at all, yet succeeded on the with live animals complementing static and strength of well-formed visions that attracted interactive exhibits in a beautifully designed the necessary resources. All four had found structure fully integrated into its wild and filled unserved cultural niches, recruited surroundings. Before the museum well-connected leaders with access to resources, and articulated strong and attractive Tenement Apartment, Lower East Side Tenement Museum visions. Taken together, these three attributes were the foundation of their success. fter working with several new In This Issue Ainstitutions on strategic planning, The quality of a museum’s vision is critical. I I recently decided to investigate what factors frequently see museums founded “passively,” Starting a Museum: might predict the success of new museums. as afterthoughts to efforts to save historic What is essential and what is not? I found study subjects by asking the leaders structures, exhibit collections, or form a 1 historical society. Organizations founded of five museum-related organizations in New Exploring the Mid@lantic this way emerge without the kind of creative York State to identify successful museums. 2 As of 2006, New York State had 1,435 and compelling vision that develops from Featured Resource: museums registered by the New York State attention to audience interest, local need, and NPower – quality technology expertise for Museum Chartering office. Representatives available sources of support. Boards of these “afterthought” organizations repeatedly stress non-profits of all sizes from the Chartering Office itself, the Museum 3 Association of New York, the Upstate History that “We need bodies and money.” Though Alliance, the Lower Hudson Conference of audience interest and resource development MARCH Happenings 3 Historical Agencies, and the New York State may have seemed unimportant in the Council on the Arts’ Museum Program offered excitement of creating a museum, that neglect Projects to Watch independent lists of newer museums they quickly lands new institutions in trouble. 4 considered successful. Connecting to community and to resources Regional Roundup 4 Four institutions, the Wild Center in the through board members, donors, and decision Adirondacks, the Lower East Side Tenement makers was also key to the success of the Going to the Well: The humanities has a Museum in New York City, the Slate Valley new museums. If museum founders remain strong case for public investment. Museum in Granville, NY, and the Long satisfied with the initial preservation of a 5 Island Children’s Museum in Garden City, site, their institutions will struggle to engage newcomers and recruit successors. Strong Famous Last Words: Daniel K. Richter NY, became the focus of my investigation. 7 I conducted interviews to reconstruct each community connections supported all four organization’s start-up phase, reviewed and successful new museums. compared IRS 990 forms, and researched each The Wild Center in the Adirondacks, which institution’s programming, marketing, and opened in 2006, was the first natural history exhibit history. museum in the Adirondacks and the first www.march.rutgers.edu Cross Ties Newsletter/ Fall 2008 Courtesy of the Slate ValleySlate the of Museum Courtesy opened, founding director Betsy Lowe sought EXPLORING THE resolutions in support of the museum at every public meeting in the region. A board member MID@LANTIC recruited from the American Museum of Natural History also brought credibility and To support further inquiry into the work of experience to the project. starting up a museum, this issue’s Exploring the Mid@lantic links you to several different kinds The Lower East Side Tenement Museum also of resources. blazed a fresh interpretive trail. Co-founder 20th century slate miners First, the four successful museums Ruth Abram never lost sight of her idea to board to honor the region’s involvement in mentioned in the article: tell stories from an immigrant perspective. the slate industry. The support of the village Lower East Side Tenement Museum When she found an available former tenement and its board helped ensure the museum’s www.tenement.org building, Abram spent five years convincing success. Advised by a visiting university Long Island Children’s Museum the landlord to sell and another three professor to “shoot for the Smithsonian, www.licm.org/ convincing others that the museum would be always shoot beyond where you think you can The Slate Valley Museum www.slatevalleymuseum.org/ a good idea. Each level of the museum now get,” museum organizers took that ambition The Wild Center: Natural History Museum of the presents the carefully-researched lives of to heart. After starting in a small barn, the Adirondacks actual immigrant residents in different historic Slate Valley museum this year hired its first www.wildcenter.org/ periods. Building on the work of academic Assistant Director and celebrated the opening Second, the organizations that nominated social historians, the Tenement Museum led of a new visitor’s center. institutions to Lindstrom’s study, as they the museum field by drawing significance may be helpful in discussing museum from experiences that many people thought Each successful museum, in other words, practice with organizations or individuals were trivial, even shameful. Since its founding began with an idea of its own purpose. looking to get started: in 1989, the LESTM has pushed history None set out to save a building first and foremost. None aimed primarily to showcase New York State Museum Chartering office museums toward far more creative interpretive www.nysm.nysed.gov/services/charter/ approaches. a collection, or to promote a historical society. museum.html All four institutions followed a strong, well- Courtesy of the Long Island Children’sIsland Long the of Courtesy Museum Museum Association of New York articulated path to providing something no www.manyonline.org/ other organization could provide. A strong Upstate History Alliance founding vision attracted talented and www.upstatehistory.org/ energetic leaders, and with them the necessary Lower Hudson Conference of Historical Agencies resources to survive the start-up years. And www.lowerhudsonconference.org/ New York State Council on the Arts’ Museum each was able to reach out and engage its Program community, “selling” people on the vision https://www.nysca.org/public/guidelines/ even before a building was built. museums/index.htm Organizations outside of New York State These findings suggest that public history may still find helpful thoughts, and/or referrals to should be realistic about start-up and similar colleagues in other states. turnaround efforts. Instead of enabling a Third, national resource centers exist passive and inwardly-focused approach, new to help museums as well. A sampling of A two-story climbing sculpture at the Long Island Children’s Museum. museum organizers should be encouraged these includes: The Long Island Children’s Museum emerged to state a compelling vision, engage their American Association of Museums Resource from the desire of two couples to fill a gap in communities, and recruit active supporters as Center the New York metropolitan region’s offerings their very first tasks. As our culture continues www.aam-us.org/museumresources/ic/ for children. Riding the first wave of interest to value ideas over products, only the best index.cfm in children’s museums in 1988, the founders ideas, and the institutions that grow from The Wallace Foundation Museum Resource them, will thrive. Center drew on their own financial resources and www.wallacefoundation.org/ connections in the for-profit community to Joann Lindstrom is a museum consultant. This essay grows KnowledgeCenter/KnowledgeTopics/Areas sustain the institution in its early years. The from her 2007 masters thesis in public administration at OfContinuingInterest/Museums/ SUNY-Binghamton ●✕ LICM attributes its success to “starting small.” WildThe Center of Courtesy Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums The first museum opened in 5,000 square www.midatlanticmuseums.org/ feet, but it now occupies a 40,000 square foot The webzine, Global Museum www.globalmuseum.org/ building.

continued on page 6 The Slate Valley Museum developed from the determination of the Granville Village

Trout Stream in the Hall of the Adirondacks at The Wild Center www.march.rutgers.edu Cross Ties Newsletter/ Fall 2008

FEATURED RESOURCE NPower – quality technology expertise for non-profits of all sizes

Getting the technology help your oganization needs.

NPower, founded in Seattle in 1999, offers enabling nonprofits to break out of this technology planning, implementation, loop. Subsidized by philanthropic gifts and maintenance services to help non- and corporate partnerships, NPower brings profits around the country achieve their corporate-quality technology expertise missions. While the for-profit economy sees within the price range of non-profit information technology as a potent business organizations. Members can contract resource, non-profits frequently fail to see with NPower for direct services at a very technology as a tool for accomplishing reasonable hourly rate. Non-members “IT department” for Philadelphia’s Civil their missions. Rather than investing can still take part in NPower’s seminar War & Underground Railroad Museum. in top quality technology planning and offerings, training classes for professional tools, nonprofit leaders frequently resign staff, and email advisories. Nationally, NPower serves more than 4000 themselves to using technology as an clients, with other Mid-Atlantic offices afterthought, because “these days you have NPower PA serves the greater Philadelphia in New York City and Washington, DC. to have a website.” Trying to meet that region, including Camden & Wilmington. Organizations beyond the reach of a regional obligation as cheaply as possible, nonprofits Their services range across the spectrum office can still access a range of services never tap the actual power of technology, from comprehensive, mission-based, system through the national NPower Network. with disappointing results that confirm them planning to assuring basic reliability and in their indifference. security. Locally, NPower PA has helped The first step is to get in touch through the plan, design, and set up new technology national NPower Network website, at www. NPower’s slogan is “Your mission, Our systems for the Greater Philadelphia npower.org. See you in cyberspace! ●✕ technology,” and they are committed to Cultural Alliance. It also functions as the

MARCH HAPPENINGS Photo by Howard Gillette the development of comprehensive industrial heritage conference at Michigan interpretation. The workshop highlighted Technological University in September. tensions and points of collaboration among archives, historic sites, and academic July marked the completion of MARCH’s scholars, and pointed toward new ways of second Bard College Clemente Course linking industrial plants to their communities in the Humanities with the graduation of and of analyzing local experiences within another two dozen students. They will join the global context created by industry itself. the 17 students from the first class, many of “Tracking Down Industrial America,”June 25 session at Rutgers-Camden. MARCH will be reporting to Mellon and to whom have gone on to further study toward MARCH hosted a two-day workshop on other stakeholders in this project in the fall. associate’s and bachelor’s degrees. Staff industrial history at Rutgers-Camden in from Bard, the New Jersey Council for the June. Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon MARCH has moved in other ways to link Humanities, and Cooper Hospital, which Foundation, these sessions brought the Bethlehem project to larger community provides classroom space, all visited the class approximately 30 scholars, archivists, and of industrial history scholarship. Director and offered their support and encouragement. public historians together to conceive an Howard Gillette will be giving a keynote New Jersey Representative Rush Holt agenda for academic research in industrial speech at the Pennsylvania Historical also expressed interest in the project, but history. The project grows out of MARCH’s Association meetings in Bethlehem, PA this was unable to schedule a visit to the class. long involvement with the Bethlehem Steel October, discussing the community-based Funding from the New Jersey Council for the plant. The vast interpretive possibilities of interpretation process that MARCH has been Humanities for a third year of Clemente has that site – and the importance of industrial championing, along with the Lehigh Valley been requested, and with support from Bard, history throughout the Mid-Atlantic Industrial Heritage Coalition. Director directors Diane Turner and Sharon Holt are – generated a demand for scholarship of Programs Sharon Ann Holt will speak enhancing the curriculum and preparing for broad and ambitious enough to support about the Bethlehem Steel project at an the next round. ●✕

Cross Ties Newsletter/ Fall 2008

PROJECTS TO WATCH regional

Photo by Simon BronnerSimon by Photo roundup Penn State of the Center.) Nicholas Westbrook, Harrisburg won executive director at Ticonderoga, noted approval from that design included heating and cooling the University’s systems so ecologically sound that, even trustees in with 18th-century-style windows and July to begin cedar-shake roofing, the Center’s energy offering the Ph.D efficiency meets LEED-certification in American American Studies student doing field standards (silver level). The New York Studies. research, Penn State-Harrisburg Times recently reported financial difficulties Simon Bronner, Distinguished Professor at Ticonderoga, but the site’s main challenge of American Studies and Folklore, will has been the general reduction of vacation direct the program. Bronner adds his travel in response to gasoline prices. Restored Interior, New Castle Courthouse The Delaware Division of Historical own international experience (in the Thanks to the opening of a new bi-lingual and Cultural Affairs won the 2008 Netherlands and Japan) to PSU-Harrisburg’s exhibit in the Education Center and interest Bamberger Historic Preservation Award already established relationships with in the 250th anniversary of the French and for researching and restoring the 18th significant central Pennsylvania cultural Indian War, museum attendance is actually century New Castle Court House.

sites, including Gettysburg, Three Mile up 13% from last year. Universtiy Lehigh at Library Digital of Courtesy Archaeology done prior to the restoration Island, Hershey, Steelton, Harrisburg, uncovered unknown features from the York, the coal region, and areas of Amish The S. Murray Rust, Jr. 17th, 18th , and 19th centuries. Re- settlement. Bronner intends for the Ph.D Digital Scholarship Center opened to the public last September program to “cover America broadly in its at Lehigh University after a $2.5 million restoration effort, the national and international contexts, work recently launched a Beyond Steel site logo New Castle Court House now includes with local resources and institutions, and geographical information exhibits about Delaware statehood and develop a focus on cultural expression and system (GIS) project that maps the about Emeline Hawkins’ successful flight identity, including areas of material and townscape of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in from slavery with her family in 1845, visual culture, folk and popular culture, the early twentieth century (http://digital. which resulted in the federal prosecution race, ethnicity and gender, and literature, lib.lehigh.edu/beyondsteel/gis/). This of two Delaware men who aided her. performance, and media.” Information and interactive, historical tool enables site visitors to map and investigate the lives of applications for Fall 2009 can be found at The Lackawanna turn-of-the-century Bethlehem residents and www.hbg.psu.edu. Heritage Valley Bethlehem Steel Corporation employees. Authority won the New York University’s Archives and Bethlehem Steel, active from 1857-2003, 2008 Arts and Culture Award from the Public History Program has received is a major player in the story of industrial Nonprofit Community Assistance Center a grant from the National Historical growth, dominance, and decline both in June for the Summer Heritage Passport Publications and Records Commission regionally and nationally. Program. A four-year old partnership (NHPRC) for the program’s “Digital History between LHVA and the Lackawanna Across the Curriculum” initiative. The Pennsylvania’s Drake Well Museum County Library System, the Passport $83,000 award will enable the program to hosted the kickoff of Oil 150, the sesqui- Program has been extraordinarily develop courses and educational offerings centennial celebration and consideration of successful in helping children develop that fully incorporate new media. The the impact of the discovery of petroleum in a sense of place, through community, NHPRC anticipates that this program will 1859 at Drake Well. The current schedule, heritage, and environment, using serve as a model for other educators in the which is regularly updated online, includes interactive, fun activities. archival, documentary editing, and public conferences, festivals, and roundtable discussion. Events spread regionally into history communities. The Jewish Museum of Maryland won West Virginia and the Great Lakes. Details Baltimore Magazine’s “Best of Baltimore Historic Fort Ticonderoga opened its of events and plans can be found at www. 2008” award for Best History Museum. new Mars Education Center on July 6, oil150.com, the official website of the

WellMuseum Drake of Courtesy The citation particularly praises JMM’s 2008. More than 500 donors contributed sesquicentennial ●✕ ability to “to relate history to the city at $22 million over six years in support of large and the nation as a whole,” making this effort. (See the feature article in the “vital connections without ignoring the Summer 2006 issue of Cross Ties for more on the interpretive planning and building continued on page 6 Drake Well historic site.

www.march.rutgers.edu Cross Ties Newsletter/ Fall 2008

GOING TO THE WELL The humanities has a strong case for public investment

Philadelphia’s mayor, Michael Nutter, just to unify the City’s arts efforts that the uniqueness of historic sites can, for announced the re-opening of the city’s n Serving as a liaison between the City’s better or for worse, attract major commercial office of arts and culture, re-styled the many cultural institutions investment. Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy. Across the river in New Jersey, Steuer himself affirmed that, “With the Beyond such crass calculations, though, historic preservation faces great uncertainty growing recognition of the importance humanities organizations remain unrivaled following the state legislature’s recent failure of the arts in workforce development, resources for creating and sustaining a sense to assure continued funding for the New business attraction and retention, community of place. A strong local identity, as many Jersey Historical Trust. The two events make revitalization, civic engagement, and studies show, proves pivotal to attracting this a good time to consider the question of tourism, it is more important than ever that population, delivering a high quality of public funding for the humanities. cities integrate the arts into City programs life, preserving the civic and neighborhood and policies.” The relentless focus on arts fabric, and cushioning communities from While the news from Philadelphia seems organizations, it seems, leaves the city’s loss during economic hard times. better than the news from Trenton, the historic sites, archival collections, libraries, city’s re-entry into the “arts and culture” Given these powerful benefits, communities and other rich humanities resources well should be increasing support for the arena actually offers precious little for outside the field of vision. the humanities. The official press release humanities along with the arts, investing indicates that Gary Steuer, the new “Chief Humanities organizations have the arguments in the cultural resources that serve local Cultural Officer,” will be responsible for needed to improve their visibility and residents as well as those that attract visitors. become attractive municipal investments. Humanities organizations themselves n Improving access to the arts for both The President’s House project, promoted in should be insisting on public investment, residents and visitors July’s US Airways magazine, demonstrates championing the short- and long-term value n Expanding arts education for young people that, by preserving archival materials, of humanities work, and showcasing how humanities work sustains our communities. n Overseeing all the City’s arts programs research libraries can create direct economic value. The gambling casino going up at the creative economy sector Shan Holt is Director of Programs at MARCH. ●✕ Steel site in Bethlehem, PA demonstrates n Coordinating with relevant City agencies

Regional Roundup, continued from page 4 thorny issues of race and nationalism,” history education through the National domain on a wholesale basis to this historic and creating exhibits that are “thought History Day (www.nhdphilly.org) program shore community. provoking and relevant, without any of the and includes $5,000 and a special plaque dust that often settles over such shows.” that is presented at the NHD national contest Congratulations! in June. Chapman-Smith, who also serves on MARCH’s advisory council, expressed her gratitude to her co-organizer, Eastern State Penitentiary’s Ang Reidell, and to the students, teachers, and judges who participate in National History Day. At her request, NHD allocated the award funds to cover the costs of sending next year’s Bill Adair Philadelphia winners to the state Finals. Bill Adair, longtime director of education at The Rosenbach Museum and Library, “Greetings from will be leaving to become director of the Asbury Park” Heritage Philadelphia Project at The V. Chapman-Smith received the Pew Charitable Trusts. Adair, who is also V. Chapman-Smith, Regional top prize at the a member of MARCH’s advisory council, Administrator at the Mid-Atlantic branch 2008 New Jersey sees the move as an opportunity to widen of the National Archives, received The International Film Asbury Park the impact of his innovative approach History Channel’s Outstanding History Festival this spring. The work of Asbury to museum interpretation and audience Educator Award for 2008. The award Park native, Christina Eliopoulos, the film engagement. recognizes exceptional contributions to unveils the ill effects of applying eminent continued on page 6

Cross Ties Newsletter/ Fall 2008

Regional Roundup, continued from page 4 The American The Rockefeller Archive Center in Sleepy properties, along with a study of community Philosophical Society Hollow, N.Y. has reorganized as a private engagement and a marketing strategy. Museum appointed foundation. The Center no longer exists as Stenton, Merrill Mason to the a division of Rockefeller University, which Congratulations to the Germantown home of the colonial Logan newly created position has officially transferred all its Pocantico Stenton f o Courtesy of Associate Director. Hills property to the new foundation. The family, for She comes to the APS Center’s new president is Dr. Jack Meyers, receiving major Museum from The who brings to the position experience as support for its Fabric Workshop and Merrill Mason Assistant Provost at Yale University, and endowment Museum, where she served in a variety of as a program officer at the J. Paul Getty campaign senior staff positions since 1994. Mason Trust and the National Endowment for the from the We started her new position on June 16. Humanities. the People initiative of The Institute of Museum and Library The Thornton the National Stenton, Germantown, Philadelphia Services has teamed with NEH and Wilder Society Endowment for the Humanities. Heritage Preservation to release a free, invites Cross Ties The award recognized Stenton as “an online video guide demonstrating how readers to attend its extraordinary instance in which a small to rescue soaked photographs, books, first international institution is an industry leader.” documents, and other valued items. This conference on Wilder, 10-minute streaming video provides called “Wilder in Thornton Wilder Cory Kegerise has left his position as professional advice that benefits families the Twenty-first Century, ” on October 2-4, executive director of Elfreth’s Alley as well as museum and library staff. (www. 2008 at The College of New Jersey in Ewing Association in Philadelphia to assume heritagepreservation.org/PROGRAMS/ Township, NJ. Sessions include keynote responsibility for administering local WaterSegmentFG.HTM.) Practical addresses by Christopher Bigsby, Scott preservation programs for the Maryland information on safety, simple equipment, Donaldson and Tappan Wilder, a playwrights’ Historical Trust. Work on a long-range and salvage priorities help the viewer get panel with Edward Albee, Lee Blessing, strategic plan for Elfreth’s continues, started on the rescue of damaged items. Tina Howe, and Donald Margulies, a reading with outside consultants Alice Dommert, Additional tips for saving family treasures from Wilder’s works by Albee and Tony Candace Matelic, Barbara Silberman, ✕ are listed at www.heritagepreservation.org/ Award-winning actress Marian Seldes, and and Jason Alexander. ● PROGRAMS/SaveTreasuresRightWay.htm. a directors’ panel with Irene Lewis, Emily

Mann, and Tazewell Thompson. Information Exploring the Mid@lantic, continued from page 2 Beth Twiss and registration is available at www.tcnj. Houting, formerly edu/~wilder/conference/ or contact TWS Director of Museum Executive Director Lincoln Konkle at And fourth, there are museum resource Communication [email protected]. at Philadelphia’s tour photo Hunters History of Courtesy groups dedicated to specific kinds of University of the museums. Many more are available Arts, joined the by searching online for “Museum Resources.” Chester County Index of Native American Museum Resources Beth Twiss Houting Historical Society this summer as its on the Web new Director of Education. UArts appointed www.hanksville.org/NAresources/indices/ NAmuseums.html Robert Vosburgh as her successor to direct Jewish Museums and Museum Resources its masters degree program in museum Worldwide communications. Vosburgh comes from the Exploring different passages in Johnson House. www.nmajh.org/links/links1.htm Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, MD. He The History Hunters program of Historic Association of Children’s Museums also worked at the Pennsylvania Academy Germantown won grant support from two www.childrensmuseums.org Association for Living History, Farm and of the Fine Arts and formerly directed the programs of the Philadelphia Center for Agricultural Museums Elfreth’s Alley Association. Arts and Heritage, a program of the Pew www.alhfam.org/ Charitable Trusts. The new funding will support Small Museums Association development of an integrated interpretive www.smallmuseum.org/ framework involving multiple Germantown National Park Service: Museum Management Programwww.nps.gov/ history/museum/ ●✕

www.march.rutgers.edu Cross Ties Newsletter/ Fall 2008

FAMOUS LAST WORDS Daniel K. Richter

various disciplines and Emancipating the Scholarly Conference specialties who found Ah, the scholarly conference! The spine tingles papers by historians, literary scholars, that they have been at the prospect, doesn’t it? Poorly dressed and archaeologists at every stage in their working in surprisingly men shamble through anything-but-dramatic careers, from graduate students to senior congruent directions. From Africa to Europe, readings of jargon-laden papers. An eager professors. Topics ranged across the late to the Caribbean and across the Americas, young graduate student tries to get the grey eighteenth and early nineteenth century and scholars documented experiences of self- heads to take her research seriously, while around the Atlantic basin, from North and emancipation, rebellion, accommodation, mumbling in the standard monotone. Much South America to Britain, Africa, and the and creativity that crossed geographical and harumphing about why no one outside the West Indies. Most of those in the audience cultural boundaries. Just as important as such room understands “our work.” A few years had done their homework and studied intellectual connections are the personal and later, an unreadable volume of “proceedings” the contributions in advance. Those who professional bonds forged in the sessions takes its place on a dusty library shelf. had not were aided by brief introductory themselves, through hallway chats, and over remarks by the authors and by written drinks and dinners. Those who met each As Director of the McNeil Center for Early abstracts. The focus of each session was other for the first time will keep in touch American Studies at the University of an extended commentary from such leading and continue to push each other to do better Pennsylvania—a thirty-year old consortium of scholars as Mia Bay from Rutgers, Philip work; those who knew each other before regional archives, colleges, and universities, Morgan from Hopkins, and Gad Heuman reinforced their sense of common enterprise. including Rutgers—I help scholars organize from Warwick, followed by an hour or so of The graduate students in attendance (and they a lot of conferences. The other members of lively open discussion. were legion, for graduate students are the the Center’s small staff—Associate Director main focus of the McNeil Center’s programs) Amy Baxter-Bellamy, Administrative On the whole, this conference epitomized similarly made connections that will have Assistant Alla Vilnyansky, and Registrar many of the things I hope the McNeil lasting impacts on their careers as scholars Lisa Lauria—work much harder than I do to Center does best, things that its regional and teachers. The two dozen or so public ensure that conferences happen with as few scope and international reputation make school instructors and members of the general hitches as possible. Remarkably, our spines possible. A global cast of senior and junior public who attended also made connections actually do tingle at the prospect of organizing scholars shared cutting-edge work. The of all kinds. They exchanged business cards the next one, because our recent experiences format created a genuine dialogue about and e-mail addresses, they asked questions have tended to smash stereotypes of scholarly major common themes, while allowing that stumped the scholars (What was the fustiness. The wardrobes of the participants those in the audience to engage with the deal on rum-distilling in eighteenth-century may still not pass muster, but collaborations material on multiple levels, whether they had Philadelphia?), and they shared the sense that among regional institutions have produced read the papers or not. And the conference historical issues that really mattered today intellectual excitement, supportive camaraderie, involved collaborations of many kinds. It were being addressed. opportunities for professional development was originally conceived by Prof. Richard among young humanities scholars, and other Newman of the Rochester Institute of Because sites and histories of slavery and benefits wonderful to behold. Technology, who recruited Christopher emancipation in the United States existed Brown of Columbia University and Joanne historically in this international context, This past April, for example, nearly 200 Melish of the University of Kentucky to the the kind of scholarship shared at “Atlantic people assembled in Philadelphia for the program committee and convinced both the Emancipations” points public and classroom only major scholarly commemoration of Library Company of Philadelphia and the history toward broad new interpretive the bicentennial of the ending of the legal McNeil Center to join in the effort. Events of possibilities. In the articles, books, and slave trade to the United States in 1808. this scale—with a budget of approximately conference papers that will emerge over the One of the largest international conferences of $45,000—are far beyond what any of the next few years, scholars will offer public that the McNeil Center has ever hosted, the institutions involved could manage on their historians a richer vein of understanding to “Atlantic Emancipations,” conference was own. But with such partnerships, the pooling mine than any one site, or even group of co-sponsored by the Library Company of of more modest investments producesd sites, could uncover on its own. Best of all, Philadelphia and the Rochester Institute something truly noteworthy. it’s a kind of understanding that illuminates of Technology, supported by contributions the contemporary public’s own experience from Temple University and the University In the end, one might well ask, does any of of globalization. of Pennsylvania, and held in meeting this matter beyond the world of professional Daniel K. Richter is the Richard S. Dunn Director of the spaces provided by the Historical Society scholarship? The answer is yes, because McNeil Center for Early American Studies and Edmund J. of Pennsylvania. The conference “Atlantic Emancipations” brought together and Louis W. Kahn Professor of History at the University featured twenty-two pre-circulated an international cast of researchers from of Pennsylvania ●✕

Cross Ties: News and Insights for Humanities Professionals Fall 2008 Volume 3, Number 3

PUBLISHER DIRECTOR Mid-Atlantic Regional Center Howard Gillette for the Humanities Rutgers University–Camden ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Camden, NJ 08102 Tyler Hoffman 856-225-6064 www.march.rutgers.edu MARCH REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

EDITOR Bill Adair Linda Norris Dr. Sharon Ann Holt Heritage Philadelphia Program, Riverhill Partners (NY) The Pew Charitable Trusts, (PA) Nancy Moses goes behind the [email protected] Jan Seidler Ramirez employees-only doors to uncover stories buried V. Chapman-Smith The National September 11 out of sight, and to explore what these unknowns National Archives and Memorial & Museum DESIGN Records Administration, tell us about museum practice today. McFarlane Designs Mid-Atlantic Region Timothy A. Slavin [email protected] Delaware Historical and Lost in the Museum Sara Cureton Cultural Affairs Original Concept: New Jersey Historical Nancy Moses Allan Espiritu Commission Martin Sullivan National Portrait Gallery, AltaMira Press Asst. Professor of Fine Arts, Art Director, Rutgers Nancy Davis Smithsonian National Museum of American 2007, 178 pages University-Camden History, Smithsonian Gabrielle Tayac National Museum of the Joan Hoge American Indian, Smithsonian 2007 0-7591-1069-7 | 978-0-7591-1069-4 Historical Society of Delaware Christine W. Ward $55.25 Cloth Barbara Irvine New York State Archives Independent Consultant (NJ) 2007 0-7591-1070-0 | 978-0-7591-1070-0 Stephanie G. Wolf Melissa McCloud McNeil Center, $19.50 Paper Chesapeake Bay Maritime University of Pennsylvania Museum To order call 1-800-462-6420 toll free or order online at www.altamirapress.com and receive a 15% discount!

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID BELLMAWR, NJ 08031 PERMIT NO. 1271