Living History

Effective Costumed Interpretation and Enactment at Museums and Historic Sites

David B. Allison

Engaging audiences through costumed staff at museums and historic sites is one of the most effective ways to interpret the past for a public used to multimedia presentations on their TVs and computers.

Here, David Allison, who has worked at several museums known for effective enactments, provides:

the fascinating stories of three large living history museums as they adapt to changing audience expectations.
a solid overview of the types of interpretation that living history museums use.
best practices (and practices for you to avoid) from the reams of data and studies compiled by evaluators over the past 10 years.
an exploration of the the intersection of public history, individual agency, and business imperatives at museums and historic sites.

Connecting with Guests in Museums: Living History Techniques Then and Now looks at the history of these compelling techniques, provides best practices and strategies for implementing them today, and provides a roadmap for the future of costumed interpretation.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers / AASLH

Pages: 122 • Trim: 6¼ x 9⅜

978-1-4422-6380-2 • Hardback • May 2016 • $89.00 • (£68.00)

978-1-4422-6381-9 • Paperback • May 2016 • $40.00 • (£30.00)

978-1-4422-6382-6 • eBook • May 2016 • $38.00 • (£30.00)

Series: American Association for State and Local History

Subjects: Business & Economics / Museum Administration & Museology

Living History

Effective Costumed Interpretation and Enactment at Museums and Historic Sites

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

Engaging audiences through costumed staff at museums and historic sites is one of the most effective ways to interpret the past for a public used to multimedia presentations on their TVs and computers.

Here, David Allison, who has worked at several museums known for effective enactments, provides:
- the fascinating stories of three large living history museums as they adapt to changing audience expectations.
- a solid overview of the types of interpretation that living history museums use.
- best practices (and practices for you to avoid) from the reams of data and studies compiled by evaluators over the past 10 years.
- an exploration of the the intersection of public history, individual agency, and business imperatives at museums and historic sites.
Connecting with Guests in Museums: Living History Techniques Then and Now looks at the history of these compelling techniques, provides best practices and strategies for implementing them today, and provides a roadmap for the future of costumed interpretation.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers / AASLH

Pages: 122 • Trim: 6¼ x 9⅜

978-1-4422-6380-2 • Hardback • May 2016 • $89.00 • (£68.00)

978-1-4422-6381-9 • Paperback • May 2016 • $40.00 • (£30.00)

978-1-4422-6382-6 • eBook • May 2016 • $38.00 • (£30.00)

Series: American Association for State and Local History

Subjects: Business & Economics / Museum Administration & Museology

Author

David Allison is Manager of Onsite Programs at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. He helps to create and sustain high-quality shows and facilitated experiences for visitors of all ages. His most recent projects at the museum include writing and developing a new multimodal show on the science of flight. In addition, he works with a team of enactors who portray composite historical characters in the gallery halls and for temporary exhibits at the museum.

Reviews

Whatever you think of living history, this book offers a much-needed fresh look at the interpretive method and cautions that it must adapt to remain effective. Allison’s voice of experience guides the reader through recent changes and his mixture of interviews, scholarship and personal anecdotes makes it an easy read.
— Tim Grove, author of "A Grizzly in the Mail and Other Adventures in American History" and co-editor of "The Museum Educator's Manual"