You have not been recognized as a subscriber to Indiana Magazine of History online. About 250 words from this article are provided below; about 535 words remain.
 		 
If you are a individual subscriber to Indiana Magazine of History, you may:
• login here if you have already registered for online access.
• Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.
• Set up your online account for the first time.

If you are not a subscriber to Indiana Magazine of History, you can:
• subscribe here.
• Purchase a research pass to gain two hour access to the entire History Cooperative web site. You will have full access to current issues of Indiana Magazine of History.

Instititutions can:
• Subscribe to this journal and receive print and electronic issues.
• Activate your existing subscription so that we recognize your IP number ranges.
| Book Review | Indiana Magazine of History, 102.4 | The History Cooperative
102.4  
Journals link Search link Partners link Information link
December, 2006
Previous
Next
Indiana Magazine of History

Table of Contents
List journal issues
Home
Get a printer-friendly version of this page
 

Reviews

The Changing Face of Public History
The Chicago Historical Society and the Transformation of an American Museum

By Catherine M. Lewis
(DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 2005. Pp. xi, 172. Illustrations, notes, works cited, index. Paperbound, $22.00.)

As one of the few monographs to examine critically the institutional changes taking place in a major museum, Catherine Lewis's history of the Chicago Historical Society (CHS) represents a major contribution to the museum field. In contrast to most celebratory volumes commissioned for significant anniversaries, Lewis, associate professor of history and women's studies at Kennesaw State University and also special projects coordinator at the Atlanta History Center, presents a dispassionate but critical analysis of an organization in transition. 1
      Through deep mining of the archives, and with extensive interviews of former and present CHS staff as well as other museum professionals, Lewis has assembled an intimate and eminently readable portrait of change in one of the country's most prominent urban historical institutions. She explores in depth the factors behind the CHS's transformation from an elitist institution celebrating the refinement of the city to a dynamic public forum welcoming diverse voices and engaging the community in meaningful dialogues. As CHS Board Chairman Richard Needham noted in the 1992 annual report, "We had evolved from simply being a collector of history or 'Chicago's attic,' to an institution on a journey to reach out to the city's diverse groups" (p. 80). Lewis connects that journey to broader currents of professional and social change. . . .
There are about 535 more words in this article. Please log in (or, if you are not yet an authorized user, please go to the User Setup page) to gain full access rights. Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.