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Montpelier Adopts New and Improved Mission Statement
Mission statements are required part of non-profit organizations, but I’ve often found that they’re treated like death and taxes–inevitable but you don’t want to think about it. In museums and historic...
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Mike Quinn named CEO of American Revolution Center in Philadelphia
Michael Quinn H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest, chairman of the American Revolution Center today announced that Michael C. Quinn will join the organization as president and CEO effective April 1, 2012. Quinn will...
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Attractive Outdoor Interpretive Panels are Possible at a Bargain Price
Click to view slideshow. James Madison’s Montpelier in Virginia sports some very attractive interpretive signs that looked so good, I had to figure out how they were made. With a bit of prodding and...
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HBR: To Engage Your Visitors, Keep it Simple
"To Keep Your Customers, Keep it Simple" by Patrick Spenner and Karen Freeman (Harvard Business Review, May 2012) The May 2012 issue of Harvard Business Review arrived a little early to my mailbox, but...
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Montpelier Archaeologists Discover James Madison’s Threshing Machine
Click to view slideshow. The rich red clay at Montpelier, the Virginia home of the Father of the Constitution has given up more secrets: the remnants of James Madison’s barn and threshing machine, and...
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Kat Imhoff named president of James Madison’s Montpelier
Kat Imhoff at James Madison’s Montpelier. The Montpelier Foundation has appointed Katherine L. “Kat” Imhoff as president effective January 1, 2013. The Foundation manages James Madison’s Montpelier,...
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News from Montpelier and Belle Grove in Virginia
Last Friday I was in Virginia and thought I’d share what’s been happening at James Madison’s Montpelier and Belle Grove, two historic sites that I’ve been associated with for more than a decade....
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A Handy Way to Keep Table Tents Neat
Click to view slideshow. At a recent board meeting of the Montpelier Foundation, the organization that manages James Madison’s Montpelier, I discovered they had developed a nice device to keep table...
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Reconstructing a Lost “Field Quarter”
In this 34-second time-lapse video, James Madison’s Montpelier in Virginia constructs a log “field quarter” (a dwelling for enslaved field workers). It’s first constructed in a building to cut and...
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Researching the Interpretation of Slavery in Louisiana
James Madison’s Montpelier is in the midst of expanding its interpretation of slavery thanks to a generous gift from David Rubenstein. To explore potential interpretive techniques and content that...
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James Madison’s Montpelier Unveils New Exhibition on Slavery & Enslaved
On Monday, June 5, James Madison’s Montpelier in Virginia opens “The Mere Distinction of Colour,” a major exhibition on the history and impact of slavery in the United States. It examines slavery both...
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Engaging Programs = Engaging Communities?
Educators and interpreters are increasingly expected to engage the community to build support, attract audiences, and confront contemporary issues. So how do you get started? What does an effective...
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How to Improve the Interpretation of Slavery by Engaging Descendants
A year ago, James Madison’s Montpelier invited me to the National Summit on Teaching Slavery to create a “methodology for how public historians work with descendants” (program, 6 Mb pdf). Over a long...
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