January 2025

A group of Black peop

What is shared authority? How does it impact historical research, scholarship, and exhibition?

ALLOWING THE VIEWER TO LEAD THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE?

What Is Shared Authority

Shared Authority is the idea that as a professional, a person has the power in the situation to dictate what is included or not included within a specific exhibit, but allowing the people who are the subject of or who will be viewing the exhibit will enhance the experience overall. 

This is because the exhibit is for the audience and their engagement. It’s the “public” part of public history. It’s allowing the research to guide study rather than forcing the research to reach a conclusion that you want to see. 

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Who We Are

Content here, content here\’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for \’lorem ipsum\’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod empor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam,quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Comment Below for Any Questions or Conserns.

A group of students working on an assignment in front of an Egyptian monument
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Benefits Shared Authority!

This picture shows students sitting in a museum learning about history that was able to get out by shared authority.

What is shared authority?

The process of shared authority is often used throughout public history. The process of shared authority allows historians to collaborate and share their facts to make public history the best it can be. Shared authority not only allows historians to connect with one another but it also allows historians to connect just with the community. This helps both the historian and the citizen because it allows the historian to share history while also getting opinions from the community or maybe even more facts that can benefit the historian’s research.

Why is shared authority important?

Over the years historians have realized that not many institutions have the funds to do history projects fully. So historian Orsello has come to the realization that most museums and historical sites are all collaborative projects that have flourished into spreading communities on different topics of history. A lack of collaboration across sectors hampers every institution’s efforts at effecting social change (Orsello, 121). The shared authority also plays an important role in public history because it gives all historians the opportunity to help better one another. Instead of having someone who is head in charge, it can become a collaborative event that acknowledges everyone’s ideas.

How is the shared authority used?

In today’s world shared authority is used more commonly used than what we probably realize. One example is museums. Museums play a huge part in history but in order for them to get the correct information out to the public you’re going to have to collaborate with other people. As far as an African American museum in order for certain parts of history to be broken down you will have to speak to descendants of ancestors who actually lived through that particular time period. This is also beneficial because it allows people the opportunity to use their voice on topics that people usually brush over.

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The Impact of Shared Authority

Preface 

Shared Authority refers to the practice of distributing decisions making power and the right to interpret information across multiple individuals or groups rather than solely relying on a single person or authority figure. Shared authority is seen as an important step forward for public historians and the process of their work. Shared authority allows historians to create an interactive space with a public audience. [1]

Learn more
A group of Prairie View students posing together for a picture during a community service commute .

This picture displays a group of students engaging in a real world scenario displaying  shared authority . [Photograph Rylo’s Mom , 2025]

Main Body 

Shared authority refers to a collaborative approach to historical research and interpretation in which the perspectives of multiple individuals, including scholars, community members, and other resources are acknowledged and integrated into the process. Another approach rather than using the traditional methods where authority relies solely on academic experts or institutions, shared authority emphasizes the inclusion of diverse voices, especially those historically marginalized or excluded from dominant narratives. Here we notice the impact that shared authority can have on historical events and how its discretion is seen as irrelevant in certain situations. In a historical context, shared authority allows for a more in-depth and inclusive understanding of the past. Researchers work alongside community members, historians, activists, and local experts incorporating personal experiences. Within scholarship, shared authority redefines the power dynamics between academic researchers and other knowledge holders. This may involve partnerships with local communities, cultural groups, or grassroots organizations. These partnerships are seen as reciprocal and emphasize mutual respect, with each party contributing their own insights. This approach can lead to new methods  and theoretical frameworks, encouraging interdisciplinary work that challenges the dominant narratives typically shaped by institutions of power. The influence of shared authority has prompted many of my colleague peers to add their own knowledge , here are soon of their blog post below . 

Is Digital Media Our Downfall?

The Digital Revolution into Public History!

Searching The Library

Echoes of the Past, Digital Voices: Public History in the Technological Era

Two people on a computer

Technology in MY HISTORY????

Oldest House Museum | St. Augustine.

The Role Technology has on Public History

Politics and Public History: Balancing Engagement and Objectivity.

Politics In Public History!

Library

Navigating Politics in Public History Practice

Power Of Politics!

NOTES

[1] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236813682_Sharing_Authority_An_Introduction?utm_source=chatgpt.com

[2]

https://www.ohs.org.uk/scripts/journal-search.php?parameter=issue&searchkey=109

 

Moment of Silence
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All Things About Shared Authority

Anaya Parker

Moment of Silence

All Things About Shared Authority

What is Shared Authority?

Shared authority happens when there is a group effort to collaborate on a project. Shared authority typically happens through interviews. Interviews allow for the interviewee to tell their stories to help the interviewer put the pieces together. In the article, A Shared Inquiry into Shared Inquiry, Corbett and Miller state, “Interviewer and interviewee share ownership of oral history because they share agency in its creation (20).” 

The

Impact

Shared authority helps historians dive deeper into their research. For example, Katharine Corbett researched photos from a labor strike in 1933. She located a few of the people who were in the photographs and interviewed them. Corbett indicates she searched for the workers in hopes to “put names to some of the faces (15).” Corbett identified some of the workers and allowed them to tell their stories. Ultimately, she brought life back into the photos with the truth and real stories connected to them. 

A shared Inquiry

into Shared Inquiry

This article explains in-depth shared inquiry, reflective practice, and shared authority. Her main point about shared authority is getting people’s stories out. However, she explains it’s not simple to have interviews. She notes that some interviewees do not cooperate, and some are dishonest. Despite the negative attributes of shared authority, this does not change the fact that oral history is essential. As mentioned before, she wanted to add oral history to the photos from the labor strike. She revisits this story in the end to emphasize its importance. Kathy states, “…most projects… have too little inquiry or authority during the formative stages… limiting our opportunities to counterpoint our history with our public’s varied pasts (36).” This quote further supports her thoughts about oral history. She is implying that history has many hidden stories. Without these stories, people’s truths are trapped within photos or artifacts. 

Corbett, Katharine T., and Howard S. Miller. “A Shared Inquiry into Shared Inquiry.” The Public Historian 28, no. 1 (2006): 15–38. https://doi.org/10.1525/tph.2006.28.1.15.

 
Books
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“The Power of Passion: How ‘Outsider’ Historians Are Reshaping Our Understanding of the Past”

Book stack

Benjamin Filene’s “Passionate Histories: “Outsider” History-Makers and What They Teach Us” 

The Main Purpose of Filene’s Article:

Filene’s primary argument in “Passionate Histories” likely centers on redefining the boundaries of historical authority and democratizing the practice of history. He challenges the traditional notion of history as the exclusive domain of professional academics and advocates for a more inclusive and participatory approach that values the contributions of diverse individuals and communities.   

What is Shared Authority?

When it comes to history, “shared authority” denotes a shift away from a hierarchical model in which professional historians have sole control over how the past is interpreted and presented. This inclusive approach places a strong emphasis on valuing and acknowledging a range of viewpoints, including the distinct perspectives and expertise of “outsider” history-makers, such as genealogists, local historians, community activists, and others. Shared authority promotes more significant and pertinent historical narratives by enabling communities to take part in the writing and interpretation of their own history. Additionally, it promotes cooperation between community members, professional historians, and other interested parties, resulting in a more democratic and inclusive process of historical research and interpretation.

Stacked books

Stacked books

Stacked books

How Shared Authority Impacts Historical Research, Scholarship, and Exhibition:

Shared authority enriches historical research, scholarship, and exhibition. In research, it fosters the inclusion of diverse methodologies and sources, incorporating oral histories, family stories, and community archives alongside traditional archival materials. This challenges traditional academic frameworks and encourages more interdisciplinary and community-engaged approaches to historical scholarship. In exhibitions, shared authority leads to more inclusive and engaging displays that reflect the diverse perspectives and interests of the public. It also fosters deeper community engagement with historical sites and institutions.

Passionate History “Good” History?

Filene likely argues that “passionate history,” while not without its limitations, can be considered “good” history if it adheres to certain principles. Even when driven by personal passion, historical research should strive for accuracy and rigor, utilizing reliable sources and critical thinking. Furthermore, “passionate history” should be grounded in community engagement and seek to address the needs and interests of the community. Ethical considerations, such as respect for diverse perspectives, proper attribution, and the responsible use of historical information, are paramount in ensuring that “passionate history” contributes meaningfully to our understanding of the past.

Connecting to Current Events:

The digital revolution has permanently changed the field of historical study by enabling people to actively participate in the process of discovering and analyzing the past. Through crowdsourced projects, genealogy research, and the establishment of digital archives, citizens can now participate in historical materials in previously unheard-of ways thanks to online platforms and digital tools. At the same time, museums and historical societies are actively working to include the opinions and contributions of a diverse range of community members as they increasingly recognize the critical role that community engagement plays.

By embracing the principles of shared authority, public historians can create a more inclusive, relevant, and meaningful public history experience that resonates with diverse audiences and contributes to a deeper understanding of the past.

A group of students with shovels stand with a NPS officer
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The Impact of Shared Authority on Public History

Professional Development on Artifacts [Photograph © May 2015 by Mahatma Chanrani]

The Metropoltan Museum of Art

Professional Development on Artifacts [Photograph © May 2015 by Mahatma Chanrani]

Shared authority has significantly impacted historical research, scholarship, and exhibition because it involves a different angle from the past. That shared authority allows these areas to grow because it includes multiple voices, perspectives, and sources. With historical research, instead of the historians or experts declaring what history is essential to speak about, they include other people’s opinions and voices that have lived the experiences. With scholarships, shared authority allows experts and regular people to come together and make ideas and assumptions based on the project they might be working on. This enables community involvement and engagement. Initially, it helps the project grow and run smoothly. Lastly, exhibition and shared authority reshape how history might be preserved. With museums and galleries, letting communities help tell their stories and express themselves more makes it more meaningful, complete, and relatable.

The article “Public History as Reflective Practice” discusses how, in 2003, the president challenged public historians to explore projects that had remained untouched since 1979. On page 11, there is a discussion about shared authority and how it helps the project the historian has been working on for years. Without different experts coming together and sharing their different perspectives and views, the project would’ve been more challenging to accomplish.¹

1Rebecca Conrad, Public History as Reflective Practice (2002), 11.

 

Aspiring scholars examine and collaborate on the analysis of the artifact.[British Museum Photograph © 2017 unidentified]

Ramesses II statue

Aspiring scholars examine and collaborate on the analysis of the artifact.[British Museum Photograph © 2017 unidentified]
A team of historians collaborating to refine and enhance the integrity of their ongoing project. [Photograph © 2024 unidentified]

National Park Service

A team of historians collaborating to refine and enhance the integrity of their ongoing project. [Photograph © 2024 unidentified]

An intricate web of tree roots
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Bring back your Roots!

Shared Authority 

&
Connections

What is Shared Authority?

By definition, public authority is when a person has power and acts on behalf of others much like a government agency. Public authority is given to anyone who wants to research further than the minimum. Public authority consists of Outside Research, these are the people who make up public authority. So,” when historians conduct research and produce interpretations that challenge deeply held beliefs about the past, public history is uniquely political (Denise D. Meringlo,pg1).”These Historians would be classified as public history historians and they use their public authority to spread history through diverse groups of people. A public authority isn’t an organization’s persay but it’s just the concept of having people in power willing to do anything it takes to help the public regain their knowledge of historical matters/events.

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Impacts & connections

A public authority can play many roles in people’s lives, after reading “Passionate Histories by Benjamin Filene you’re going to have an understanding of the impact and connections public authority has. Public Authority gives people called “Outsiders(Benjamin Filene,pg2)” the power to explore the lost history that has personal importance to a group of people. For example, Museums include a lot of history, but according to the reading “Perhaps the problem isn’t with “them,” the public, but with “us,” the museums(Benjamin Filene, Pg2).”People don’t seem to want to visit these historical places because their history isn’t being displayed, there isn’t relatable history. Public authority allows people to still partake in museums because these Outside researchers are determined to find history that can relate to and benefit people. Public authority impacted groups of people to not give up on their history.”Another way that outsider histories personalize the past is to link stories to the everyday world around us, to place history where we live (Benjamin Filene,pg7). People started to draw connections to history due to their surroundings. Seeing landmarks in community groups brings the community together, and sparks a conversation about their history. Lastly, public authority ties into something called “passionate history.”Professional historians think that personal history stories and relatable history won’t go far in the public eye, but Outside “values of family, place, voice, and time travel butts up against core principles of traditional historians(Benjamin pg,9)”.Traditional historians are losing sight that many people don’t even care to indulge in the past; but the outside researchers who make up public authority are bringing mysteries to an end, growing communities, and getting people back active.

Historical museum

The image shows a Historical museum. You see people gathering in their community space.

My Takeaway

My takeaway on public authority is that it is a good concept that has come along. I love the idea that it allows people to receive information that has been lost or overlooked. From personal experience, I couldn’t even relate to museums because, half the time, those are not the answers I’m seeking, or the information does not relate to me. These Outside researchers are opening new doors to history.

 

Credits

Filene, Benjamin. “Passionate Histories: “Outsider” History-Makers and What They Teach Us.”1-10.

Meringolo, Denise, D. “Radical Roots.”1-3

 

Two neighboring houses one a blue suburban house with a white picket fence next to A white modern house with Iron metal bars topped with spikes
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Is Public History Necessary?

Public History?

In today’s changing society, the significance of public history has never been more necessary. This field connects communities with their pasts, creating a shared historical understanding of the community involved. Lucy Maynard Salmon’s article “History in a Backyard” exemplifies this civic engagement by showcasing how everyday life can illuminate broader historical narratives. Salmon says, “Now it seems a very simple, commonplace thing to have a fence, or not to have a fence… If a fence is built, it means presumably that the property owners place a high value on privacy and seclusion,… If the fence is surmounted by a row of spikes, it indicates not simply an aversion to certain undesirable company but a positive fear of disagreeable visitors and dangerous intruders.” (Salmon 77) Salmon argued that daily life materials should be examined as historical documents, aligning with our current focus on practical public history. Most people know public history within the context of statues and informational plaques erected to inform the masses. Although a plaque and statue represent Salmon’s methodology, she emphasizes analyzing everyday artifacts for historical meaning and reflects public history’s principle of practice. By simply studying the overlooked, she highlighted that history is present in our everyday lives, waiting to be discovered. This approach positively impacts marginalized communities, validating their contributions to the larger narrative and ultimately empowering communities to reclaim their narratives. 

-January 27th, 2025

Two neighboring houses one a blue suburban house with a white picket fence next to A white modern house with Iron metal bars topped with spikes
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A headshot picture of American History Lucy Maynard Salmon
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What is Public History?

 

Tour guide Malcom Walls explains to visitors why the Old Camberbatch Historic District is not really so boring. [Photograph © 2023 unidentified]

Exploring Public History

Tour guide Malcom Walls explains to visitors why the Old Camberbatch Historic District is not really so boring. [Photograph © 2023 unidentified]

Lucy Salmon is a pioneer in American education. Her exploration of her life helped answer fundamental questions about the nature of education. She pushed boundaries for women’s rights and even minorities. Her influence on public history has shifted the focus on how she goes about her work. Salmon has studied under many highly regarded historians, and one of her notable works that I loved reading was “History in a Backyard.” Lucy starts the article by expressing deep frustration because she and her family couldn’t visit Europe that summer. She wanted to see all of Europe’s museums and artifacts, but as the story continued, she had a significant shift of perspective. As Lucy steps into her backyard, she questions and observes how she can study history in her backyard. Salmon describes her backyard as a treasure with architectural opportunities in the story.¹ Examining and breaking down her fence, trees, flowers, and hedges, and correlating all the symbolic meanings to them. On page 80, one of the symbolic meanings she breaks down is the cherry tree, which means lacking the motion connection the author might feel.² And that brings me to public history and how it is used. I believe public history fosters a deep understanding of how historians shape or present the future, making the past relevant in everyday life. I think that’s what Lucy is trying to show us through the stories. No matter where you go or what you see, it all could be a part of the historical background.

  1. Lucy Maynard Salmon, History in a Backyard (1912), 76.

  2. Ibid., 80.

How does Lucy Maynard Salmon align with Public History?

A headshot picture of American Historian Lucy Maynard Salmon

Lucy Maynard Salmon

A headshot of American Historian Lucy Maynard Salmon from her 1912 article “History in a Backyard,”

This Cherry tree is what Lucy Maynard discusses in her story ” History in a Back Yard.” I wanted to give a visual of what a cherry tree looks like and how the tree grasped her attention.

A Cherry tree in a back yard.

Cherry Tree

Student standing on sidewalk near water feature outside of campus student center.
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History Now: The Necessity of Public Historians in the Decision Making Process

Student standing on sidewalk near water feature outside of campus student center.

Amanda Elmore, History Student & Author of Post

Amanda Elmore, posing on the sidewalk in front of a water feature near Willie A. Tempton Memorial Student Center at Prairie View A&M University. Photographed by Autumn Bishop. August 29th, 2024.

 

Robert Kelley in his work “Public History: Its Origins, Nature, and Prospects,” states that “history has been thought…to produce things which are interesting”…[and] “essential…but which are not immediately useful.” History’s usefulness has seemingly always been atop the list of intense debate subjects. Groundbreaking historian of the Progressive Era, Lucy Salmon, “believed that in order to be relevant history must speak to the present.” Like Salmon did in her era, Kelley “embraces history in a pluralistic sense” as all-encompassing. In this brief article he goes on to argue against this all-too-common notion of history’s nonutility by highlighting the necessity of the historical perspective, the practical value of public history, and further details how he assisted in pioneering breakthroughs in the field of public history by establishing a graduate program at the university which he was employed. 

 

In his essay he defines public history shortly as “the employment of historians and the historical method outside of academia.” The author stands strongly in asserting that history is not not limited to political and military affairs but “it is essential in every kind of immediate, practical situation.” He follows this by presenting examples of instances where a public historian’s expertise can be utilized in the decision making process and noting situations where academic historians have been employed as public historians. For example, historians could be sought out as hires for the Department of Agriculture and uniquely assist in providing an evidence-based historical narrative to give context for future decisions and possibly developing fairer policy. The next section of the essay follows Kelley’s personal linkings with Richard Hwelett and Wayne Rasmussen in the actual implementation of historical offices in various organizations, talks about the responsibilities of public historians in practice, and the variety of positions available to historians trained in public history. After that, Kelley illustrates the development of his public history graduate program, the kind of mindset required for the field, the ethical challenges involved in the practice, mission-oriented research, and other skills and specifics to finish the rigorous curriculum and course examinations.


In total, Kelley’s article suggests that while endlessly strenuous, “public history [is] an enterprise” well worth it. Further, the experiments that he oversaw and witnessed prove that its implementation will be rewarding and ultimately “far preferable to going on as it were before.”

 

Sources:

Kelley, Robert. “Public History: Its Origins, Nature, and Prospects.” The Public Historian 1, no. 1 (1978): 16–28. https://doi.org/10.2307/3377666. 


Haeussler Bohan, Chara. “Introduction: Lucy Maynard Salmon, 1853-1927.” Introduction. In Go to the Sources: Lucy Maynard Salmon 1853-1927 and Teaching of History, 1–8. Peter Lang, 2004.

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