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AN ELVIS ROOM? THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR ELVIS

March 27, 2026 by 4 Comments

I’ve spent more time in museums than any other institutions, and the idea of an Elvis room outside of Graceland seemed unlikely. And? I was wrong. “Would you like to see the Elvis Room?” What’s the right answer? For me it was another question. “You’ve got an Elvis Room?”

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NORTH BEND IN THE OREGON HISTORY CENTER

March 10, 2026 by

This is North Bend in 1940. Something is missing, though. I-5 is missing, but there’s something else. These baby boomers and their memory, you never know what you’re getting.

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WHY AUTHENTIC MUSEUMS STILL MATTER

January 3, 2026 by

I’ve been inside authentic museums of all kinds, from the Gene Autry Museum of the American West, to the Petersen Automotive Museum, to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. They all come with a suspension of disbelief. Does everything have to be perfect? Noooooo. But they do have to be authentic.

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MAKING TIME LAST WITH OVER DAVE

May 6, 2025 by

Making time for someone is one of the nicest things you can do. You hear about it from people who say they’d like more time with one particular person. Except that person is usually dead. Then what? Plan B.

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THE HISTORY WRITER YOU NEED, THE STORY YOU GET

March 29, 2020 by

Every history writer has a To Be Read stack of books. I like to think most people have the same stack. The difference for a writer is most of their books To Be Read explain how to write. I’m finally able to say they helped me. How? Thank you for asking.

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Historical Debris: A Record Of Time

July 23, 2018 by

    Most museums have a bar they set for accepting historical debris, artifacts, one of a kind deals, and whatever an important person touched or signed.   Paul Revere silver, the last breath of Thomas Edison, the Magna Carta? No one is making any more of that stuff, so that’s a bar too high. […]

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HISTORY, OREGON HISTORY

May 18, 2016 by

You could walk by this building on NW Everett and just keep walking. Nothing to see here, just a worn out facade in a beat down part of Portland with chips and stains. A couple of radiator shops across the street complete the view. If there was anything special about it, there wasn’t a sign, […]

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MUSEUM ARTIFACTS DON’T BELONG IN TOILETS

February 22, 2016 by

If you have something worthy of a museum artifacts collection, keep it safe. A museum joke that bears repeating: This is George Washington’s hatchet he used to chop down the cherry tree. The handle’s been replaced six time, the head four, but it represents the same space. Funny stuff. I think it came from Saturday […]

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MUSEUM DAY LIVE. WORTH IT?

September 24, 2015 by

This Saturday Opens The Door To A Free Museum Day Live. Will You Go? Of all the free things in the world, Museum Day Live looks like a steal. Two free tickets await you upon registering with Smithsonian Magazine. Name, email, the usual. Aside from balking at joining yet another list that may or may […]

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NPR AMERICAN HISTORY FAILS

July 31, 2015 by

Is There A Future For American History? NPR Says Maybe. A history joke: “This is George Washington’s Ax, the one he used to chop down the cherry tree. The head’s been replaced five time, the handle eight, but it represents the same space.” After you stop laughing you’ll see the history problem: the ax isn’t […]

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