Welcome!

So, what exactly do you do?

One of the ironies of being a public historian is that, for the most part, people have no idea what that means. The phrase “public history” has so much meaning – often contested – within the field, and almost no meaning outside of it. It’s a phrase that tends to elicit a response like, isn’t all history public? Or, as opposed to what, private history?

This blog seeks to take one small step towards exposing what we do and why we love it. It also allows us, as students in a graduate program, to share our studies, research, and work experiences. We are constantly grappling with new perspectives, developing arguments, and uncovering fascinating resources, and a lot of what we do does not reach the public. It is grueling and frustrating and utterly rewarding, and this is our way of sharing it with you.

We won’t use this post for definitions – we hope that the blog will provide a better sense of this rich, diverse field than we could possibly do in a few sentences. Happy reading!