At next year's ALHFAM conference being held in Waterloo, Ontario (June
21-25) we're planning on having a debate to answer the question "Is there a
future for living history?" because it seems to us that living history sites
in particular have been hard hit by cuts due to their high staffing costs
(ie interpreters in every building).  I would agree, though that we're not
talking about cuts - my experience here in Ontario is that most museums and
my colleagues are trying to stay low to avoid the crossfire and hoping it
won't happen to them.


   At 08:57 PM 6/24/97 -0400, you wrote:
>Dale Jones 6/24/97 11:43 AM [log in to unmask]
>
>>A sad event in the museum world happened  Friday June 20 in Baltimore.
>>The Baltimore City Life Museums, and all the sites it operates, closed.
>>
>>Fourteen months after opening a new $8.3 million facility and after a
>>number of staff reductions, the system collapsed, taking down with it the
>>Peale Museum, 1840 House, H.L. Mencken House, Carroll Mansion, Shot
>>Tower, Center for Urban Archaeology, Brewers' Park, and ultimately 100
>>full and part-time people.
>>
>>A very disturbing occurrence.
>
>
>Dale,
>
>Thanks for reporting an even I was attempting to report to the list.  My
>biggest question is why, in an article just a couple of issues ago, did
>_Museum News_  paint such a rosy picture of Baltimore museum community.
>Sure we have had a couple of high profile museums open lately and a new
>one on the way, but why didn't they mention how strapped for funds the
>museums that already exist are?  The USF Constellation needs 20 million
>for repairs or the Navy will take it back.   It also made our Mayor look
>like a bosom buddy of the cultural community by only highlighting those
>institutions that were born or grew during his reign. Why did it not
>mention his pathetic attempt at a Bicentennial Celebration and the
>hundreds of thousands of dollars he has cut from all museum support
>including to such treasures as the Walter's Art Gallery and the Baltimore
>Museum of Art.   I know of no museum, art, or heritage professional in
>town that thought this article even came near to reporting any side to
>this issue than the one our present Mayor would like potential tourists
>to hear.
>
>Is Baltimore alone?  Has anyone else noticed this tendency in MN and
>other AAM publications and forums?  When I go to meetings, conferences,
>and symposia here and around the country I have heard similar stories.
>Why doesn't Museum News cover these issues with more perspective and
>thought?
>
>Once again I fear I let my emotions run a little high, but it angers me
>when I consider that the oldest municipal museum and 8 others are closed
>(and all of their artifacts, photographs, maps, and documents completely
>inaccessible) while _Museum News_ prints such fluff on the subject.
>Would well balanced stories be too much to ask?
>
>These opinions are mine alone and do not represent the official views of
>my institution.
>
>
>
>
>
>Matthew A. White
>Director of Education and Internship Coordinator
>Baltimore Museum of Industry
>1415 Key Highway
>Baltimore, MD 21230
>(410)727-4808
>[log in to unmask]
>
>
Thomas A. Reitz
Manager/Curator
Doon Heritage Crossroads
R.R. #2
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2G 3W5

Telephone:  519-748-1439 ext. 227
Fax:        519-748-0009
e-mail:     [log in to unmask]
http://www.region.waterloo.on.ca/doon/