Interpreting LGBT History at Museums and Historic Sites (part of the AASLH Interpreting History Series) has been selected as the winner of the 2016 NCPH (National Council on Public History) Book Award for the best work published about or growing out of public history. The award will be presented during the NCPH Annual Meeting at the NCPH Awards Breakfast, Saturday, March 19, at 8:00 am at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland.
About Interpreting LGBT History at Museums and Historic Sites (Available through Rowman & Littlefield Publishers)
LGBT individuals and families are increasingly visible in popular culture and local communities; their struggles for equality appear regularly in news media. If history museums and historic sites are to be inclusive and relevant, they must begin incorporating this community into their interpretation. Interpreting LGBT History at Museums and Historic Sites is straightforward, accessible guidebook for museum and history professionals as they embark on such worthy efforts. The book features an examination of queer history in the United States, case studies on the inclusion and telling of LGBT history, and an extensive bibliography and reading list. It complements efforts to make museums and historic sites more inclusive, so they may tell a richer story for all people.
About Author Susan Ferentinos
Susan Ferentinos is a public history researcher, writer, and consultant based in Bloomington, Indiana, where she specializes in historical project management and using the past to create community. She has lectured widely on the topic of interpreting LGBT history and recently served on the planning team for the National Park Service Women’s History Initiative. Dr. Ferentinos holds a Ph.D. in U.S. history with a focus on the history of gender and sexuality and a Master of Library Science with a concentration in special collections, both from Indiana University. She has served on the Board of the National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites and the Leadership Development Committee of the American Association for State and Local History.
Reviews
Timely and well-crafted, Interpreting LGBT History at Museums and Historic Sites is a must-read not only for professionals working with collections in museums, archives, libraries, and other cultural heritage institutions, but also for anyone in the communities they seek to engage. Ferentinos provides a convincing rationale for why LGBT history and interpretation matters, as well as a clear framework for how it can – and should – be shared. Readers will find much to consider, reference, and, perhaps more importantly, apply.
—Wesley J. Chenault, Head of Special Collections and Archives at James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries
This groundbreaking work thoughtfully documents seminal projects in the interpretation of LGBT history and also lights a path forward for those committed to a more inclusive approach to public history.
—Bill Adair, Director of Exhibitions and Public Interpretation, The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, Philadelphia, PA
This book has something for everyone interested in history, museums, and historic site interpretation. The historical overview should be required reading for all who think they know the history of the United States. Curators, historic site managers, archivists, and librarians, among others, will discover many ways to challenge any preconceived ideas of the lives documented and interpreted in their collections or at their sites. Equally important, they will find myriad resources to answer their questions in this well-written and provocative volume.
—Barbara J. Howe, historian and associate professor emerita, West Virginia University
978-0-7591-2372-4 • Hardback
978-0-7591-2373-1 • Paperback
978-0-7591-2374-8 • eBook
