Present Tense: Locating History in Boston’s Museums of Science

Abstract

Stories and artifacts from the history of science are difficult to find in many popular science museums in the United States. This essay makes a case for why such museums should include the history of science in their halls and how they might go about doing so. Using several Boston-area museums as case studies, it explains why the history of science can be so hard to find in contemporary science museums and then offers several examples of instances in which museums have successfully integrated science and history in their halls. Ultimately, the essay suggests, historians of science and popular science museums should cultivate new partnerships; it concludes with a brief sketch of how they might do so.

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