Episode four of Public History in a Virtual Age explores historic sites and their role in public history. Historic sites are one of the oldest and most popular forms of public history—in fact, one of your first history memories is probably visiting a house or site near you. Rightly so! There is almost nothing more powerful than experiencing the physical environment and lived experience of people that came before us. Seeing the rooms, the items, the way people lived and worked help our imaginations come alive. Which is one of the reasons these sites are so valuable as teaching tools for students of all ages.
On today’s episode we’ll speak with two public historians and education experts about their sites and the history they share. The first is Amanda Roper, the Manager of Interpretation at the Lee-Fendall House, historic house in Alexandria, Virginia. Then we will speak with Lauren Zalut, the Director of Education and Tour Programs at Eastern State Penitentiary—an abandoned prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the first true penitentiary in the world.
To learn more, visit theitps.org!