In a message dated 05/10/2000 11:06:46 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> Why is it that so many "boards" and "commissions" are populated with
>  knotheads who are simply amateur historians (or whatever else) and don't
>  know beans about the subject at hand or have enough sense to follow the
lead
>  of someone who knows what the hell is up?

1) Because they are all volunteers. And the act of volunteering gives them a
stake in the process. Volunteer activities often become a forum for personal
expression rather than a committment to a common mission.

2) Historic site management is deceptively simple ("oh, I know historic
gardens... I've been to Colonial Williamsburg"), and volunteers often
motivated by 'good intentions' rather than an ethic of authenticity and
education.

3) There is a long history of boards and organizations running museums and
historic sites. Managers and professionals are relative newcomers in relation
to the many years of history that some of these organizations have behind
them.

4) Many 'ye olde colonial' museums have created a false sense of history
within the community. Frankly, its really hard to convince a board of
trustees to dismantle gracious Scalamandre silk window hangings in favor of
ragged linen tacked on a piece of twine. Especially when they visited
Colonial Williamsburg in 1976 and "saw beautiful silk draperies there. So
they MUST be accurate."

Many people are attracted to work at historic sites because they are
attracted to the 'romantic' image of times gone by, or are perpetuating a
myth about a glorioius past. The idea of realism shatters these illusions.
Furthermore they are generally motivated by modern standards of aesthetics.
Others are motivated by social concerns, or have a niche interest and don't
care about the 'overall' scope.

It's really hard to overcome these issues, and needless to say, frustrating.
I've worked at my historic site for 5 years now, and barely gotten it to a
"clean slate" state (i.e. where we aren't using 1930s Colonial Revival
furniture to interpret Revolutionary War history) I'm almost always at a
disadvantage because I'm much younger than many of the members--  how could
such a young snot know more than them? And for every one step forward, it's
two steps back: a well-intentioned board member recently took it upon herself
to refinish the natural wood floor in the 18th C. section of the house with a
maple polyurethane stain. "But it looks so nice and shiny now."

Sign me,
George Washington Slept Here