Melia Dayley’s Reviews > Mickey Mouse History and Other Essays on American Memory > Status Update

I love the line from the books that talks about history being a human production: it's all conducted, collected, interpreted, and evaluated according to personal agendas. This chapter about politics just really proves how much of history is interpretation and there is no such thing as a historical "truth."

Nothing good lasts forever apparently when it comes to historic preservation. The good times of the 80's passed and when the preservationists couldn't explain the 'why' behind saving the past, money and capitalists interests took over. This book does a nice job of explaining why there was such a shift in interest, and why at such a national level.

If reading about the politics of historic preservation is this tedious and overwhelming, then I certainly cannot imagine how it is in real life. There are so many conflicting interests between individuals, social groups, politicians and government money. The debate between promoting business and keeping the pat in the present will be never ending.

It's interesting to see how the idea of preserving historical places went from an altruistic stance to a business and money making stance. Preservation was also affected by World War II and the everyday use of he automobile by Americans. As more people traveled, history became an interest point to stop at and a way for businesses to make money.

Reading about the struggle between the edu-tainment approach by Disney and the preservation and sacred-grounds approach by citizens, historians, and activist groups, opened my eyes to a new part of public history. In the field, the history is made to appeal to the public and there are many different approaches to it with no clear line, except for when a group tries to throw in amusement, then everyone gets upset.

Museums and Controversy has been my favorite chapter by far. This is what I wanted to know about museums: evolution of exhibits passed on social movements, taboo exhibits because the past is too close to the present, and the effect museums have and an have on the public. Museums are not just a building housing old stuff. They are a place of reflection and future change.

The chapter about the virtual aspect of museums, although outdated, still holds interesting principles about the benefits and downfalls of incorporating technology into a museum. Technology can allow a new way for patrons to interpret the past but at the same time, technology cannot provide the same feelings/thoughts as you get when you are witnessing an object in person.

I love how this book presents an issue in museums, such as deindustrialisation, then presents a brief analysis of the history, and finally looks to the future for new approaches museums can take to explain history better. Every chapter is comprehensive and well thought out. I loved the line in this chapter about citizens that go to museums become political actors for change if presented with the right information.

After reading about the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Industrial museums, it's clear that every museum has a bias and is there to serve a certain audience and fulfill and certain role/image. The Ellis museum came close to unbiased but it was bias because it didn't always tell a full story. Sometimes not sharing facts leads to more interpretations than facts do.

It's interesting to read about all the different potential exhibits and what they could teach people. History exhibits don't just teach people about the past but makes them think and analyze the present. I loved the ideas about taking polls or opinions about a city's current state in a museum. What a great way to get people involved!