Processing the Past: Contesting Authority in History and the Archives - Oxford Series on History and Archives (Paperback)

Francis X. Blouin, Jr. (author), William G. Rosenberg (author)

£20.49

Paperback 268 Pages / Published: 10/01/2013

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Synopsis

Processing the Past explores the dramatic changes taking place in historical understanding and archival management and in the relations between historians and archivists. Written by an archivist and a historian, it shows how these changes have been brought on by new historical thinking, new conceptions of archives, changing notions of historical authority, modifications in archival practices, and new information technologies. The book situates archives as subjects rather than places of study and examines the increasingly problematic relationships between historical and archival work. The authors contend that though historians and archivists once occupied the same conceptual and methodological space, they have divided into two separate professions with distinct conceptual frameworks and understandings of the authorities that govern their work: historians now ask questions not easily answered by traditional documentation, and archivists confront the challenges of new technologies and increases in the amounts of material they process. Blouin and Rosenberg conclude by raising the question of what future historical archives might be like if historical scholars and archivists no longer understand each other.

Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780199964086
Number of pages: 268
Weight: 388 g
Dimensions: 234 x 169 x 15 mm

MEDIA REVIEWS

a challenging and stimulating book * Valerie Johnson, Business Archives *
This is an important study focusing on historiography as it discusses how historical knowledge is shaped and managed. It is a must read for both historians and archivists. * Nuper Chaudhuri, American Historical Review *