Coffeehouses, Storytelling, and Relevance
by National Trust for Historic Preservation on November 20th, 2009Written by Priya Chhaya
This could be the story of Starbucks, Saxby’s, or Caribou Coffee. This could be the story of hundreds of independent coffee houses that dot the American landscape. Almost 240 years ago, a Williamsburg wigmaker named Richard Charlton opened up a coffeehouse. A few feet from the capitol building; this coffeehouse served as a space where colonists would gather to talk, socialize, debate, and gossip.
However, in 1776, amidst revolutionary turmoil, that coffeehouse became the scene of a clash between the tyranny of the stamp act and revolutionary fever. Today, Colonial Williamsburg (CW) is reopening the coffeehouse to the public, and like much of the interpretation it will tell a familiar piece of the larger story about American independence. I read about this yesterday in the Washington Post in an article that talks about how CW’s shift to active storytelling is a part of their broader plan to make history relevant.
This, I suppose, is the watchword for the historical profession: We are always trying to find ways of maintaining relevance, finding relevance, or being relevant. It is a battle that we have been fighting for a long time—and one linked to the mass media craze, where entertainment comes in the form of cell phone applications and video games. We are constantly afraid that those we want to educate, to inform, will pass us by without the right presentation, the right hook. We are afraid that the children of tomorrow won’t recognize how we got the Declaration of Independence, or why we fought in World War II—and instead be consumed by the latest in the world of pop culture. That one day, history may become irrelevant.
But isn’t that what doing history is all about? Making those connections to the present and acknowledging that with every generation relevance shifts according to what is that generation sees in the mirror? That meaning, and acknowledgment of that meaning is integral to the broader need for identity ?
Those of us who listened to Donovan Rykema’s speech at the National Preservation Conference know that this is something that historic preservationists deal with regularly. While some of us may agree or disagree with Rypkema, relevance hovers just above the horizon. Maybe finding relevance is not so much a watchword or a fire bell in the night for the historical profession but our modus operendi and is something we should all be proud of.
Priya Chhaya is the program assistant in the Center for Preservation Leadership at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
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November 20th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
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November 20th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Wmsburg saw a precipitous drop in paid admissions between 1985 and 2005 (from 1.1m to 710,000). Marketing research helped Williamsburg find a new direction in interpretation and audience connection — today’s efforts try to link history to current events, presenting “the news of the day” in a dramatic and thought-provoking manner. Interestingly (and further support to my claim that people do not respond well to the word “history”) a random survey conducted by Williamsburg showed that only 8% of the population claimed to have a strong interest in history and would be likely to visit Colonial Williamsburg. Yet 62% said they might visit if they were “intellectually challenged or stimulated.”
So while I think many people hear that historic sites need “relevance” and think that means dumbing down the presentation, what it means is understanding how to present the site’s story in a compelling manner that connects intellectually and/or emotionally with a modern audience.
Hope the coffee shop has great success and is visited by families who will use the refreshment opportunity as a time to hatch their own plot for the rest of the days’ activities.
November 20th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Sabra,
I completely agree–relevance does not mean making things simpler but essentially finding newer ways to develop and present the complex stories we have to tell. Having spent my undergrad years down there it was always interesting to see what CW was doing next. I know some of it was not as successful as others, but this coffeehouse is something I look forward to seeing (and its an excuse to go down and get some Cheese Shop sandwiches).
Can you tell me where the survey stats are that you quoted? I’d love to look at them. (Also-love your blog.)