Reports from the (English) field

This month I’ll be joining a group of fifty professionals from historic sites and museums from around the world in the Attingham Summer School.  For three weeks we’ll be studying and discussing the preservation and interpretation of the English country house (including collections and landscapes) from the 13th century to the present day with field [...]

Better Boards Workshops exclusively for Historic Sites

Esther Hall will lead a Better Boards workshop for historic sites at the Inn at Woodlake in Kohler,  Wisconsin on November 6-8, 2008.
This workshop is limited to six Sites and each Site will need to send six people: the Site Director and five carefully selected Boardmembers (e.g., Chair, rising chair, etc). Thanks to a [...]

Are Boards Failing Their Historic Sites?

Some recent events at non-profit organizations (including historic sites) question my faith in many boards to adequately take responsibility and avoid the extremes of negligence and micro-management. The Mount, the home of Edith Wharton in western Massachusetts, is facing financial difficulties so severe that it is may be bankrupt by the end of the [...]

Real Life “Indiana Joneses” on the Job at Montpelier

Hollywood’s most famous archaeologist will be returning to the big screen this week with the movie debut of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Though the action-packed adventures of Indiana Jones may inspire the fantasies of aspiring archaeologists, it is the real-life work that can be found this summer at James Madison’s [...]

In-depth study of New England history, architecture, and decorative arts

Historic New England will present its annual Program in New England Studies from June 16-21, an intensive learning experience with lectures by specialists supplemented by workshops and behind-the-scenes tours. Participants study the buildings and collections of Historic New England and other museums and private houses in the region.
The Program in New England Studies examines New [...]