Yesterday in downtown Boston I saw this sign on a busy sidewalk:
Inside BSA Space, owned by the Boston Society of Architects, was “White on White: Churches of Rural New England,” a display of photographs of churches throughout rural New England along with several panels explaining the history of the preservation movement in Boston and the excellent work done by Historic New England.
While I don’t know how many people are drawn into the upstairs gallery to see this free exhibition, it’s another example of putting history, and historic objects and exhibits, in places where people already are, as opposed to always relying people to come to your site or museum.
I earlier wrote about Wells Fargo and their use of their heritage, including their famed stage coaches and the 10 small museums they have across the country, as examples of getting historic objects and displays out in places where more people will encounter them. While their motivation is somewhat different, the result is the same: More people, including those who may not go to history museums or historic sites, have the opportunity to learn about history.
