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| Association of Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Association of Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums |
| Abbreviation | ALHFAM |
| Formation | 1970s |
| Type | Professional association |
| Headquarters | Perrysburg, Ohio |
| Region | International |
| Membership | Museums, historic sites, individuals |
Association of Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM) is a professional association that supports living history museums, historic farms, and agricultural museums through training, standards, and networking. Founded by practitioners from North American institutions, the organization connects curators, interpreters, and site managers with peer institutions, scholars, and public history professionals. ALHFAM engages with a wide network of museums, historical societies, and heritage organizations to preserve and interpret rural and agricultural heritage.
ALHFAM emerged during a period of institutional expansion when institutions such as Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Plimoth Patuxet Museums, Greenfield Village, Old Sturbridge Village, and Powell Cotton Museum were advancing immersive interpretation, and when professionals from Smithsonian Institution, National Park Service, Library of Congress, American Association for State and Local History, and Museum of History and Industry sought methods for authentic agricultural interpretation. Early meetings included representatives from Shelburne Museum, Yorkshire Museum, Heritage Museums and Gardens, Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, and Ephrata Cloister who exchanged approaches used at Living History Farms, Mennonite Heritage Center, Conner Prairie, and Fort Ticonderoga. Over time ALHFAM formalized practices influenced by scholars at University of Massachusetts Amherst, Michigan State University, Iowa State University, Cornell University, and University of Kentucky, and developed relationships with collections specialists from American Alliance of Museums, International Council of Museums, Smithsonian Institution Archives, and National Trust for Historic Preservation.
ALHFAM’s mission aligns with institutional goals promoted by American Association for State and Local History, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and regional entities like Ontario Museums Association and Museum Association (UK). Objectives include improving standards used by Historic New England, Historic England, Royal Ontario Museum, and Canadian Museum of History; disseminating interpretive techniques practiced at Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and Pioneer Village; and supporting conservation strategies employed by Mount Blanc Museum, Tromsø Museum, and academic partners such as University of Leicester and University of Glasgow.
ALHFAM administers exchange programs, technical workshops, and hands-on demonstrations similar to programs at Plimoth Patuxet Museums, Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, Living History Farms, Heritage Park Historical Village, and Betsy Ross House. Activities include livestock husbandry sessions inspired by protocols from Royal Agricultural University, crop cultivation demonstrations reflecting methods used at Kew Gardens, blacksmithing and woodworking workshops paralleling training at The Henry Ford, and textile and dyeing demonstrations that mirror practice at Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and Museo del Traje. Collaborative projects have attracted participation from National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Australian National University, Te Papa Tongarewa, and Museum Victoria.
Membership comprises staff and volunteers from institutions such as Old Sturbridge Village, Shelburne Museum, Living Histories Bristol, Hanover Museum, Fort York National Historic Site, Greenfield Village, Pioneer Settlement for Creative Arts, Aberdeen Maritime Museum, Black Country Living Museum, Musee de la Civilisation, St Fagans National Museum of History, and individual specialists affiliated with Association of Science and Technology Centers, Society for American Archaeology, American Folklore Society, and International Federation of Farm Machinery. Governance is provided by a board elected from members with experience comparable to trustees at Smithsonian Institution and officers who coordinate with partner organizations including American Alliance of Museums and regional museum councils.
ALHFAM convenes annual conferences and regional gatherings that attract presenters from Smithsonian Institution, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Royal Agricultural Society, Society for Historical Archaeology, Association of Critical Heritage Studies, Museum Education Roundtable, and conservationists from Getty Conservation Institute. Published outputs include a peer network newsletter, technical manuals, and proceedings distributed among libraries like Library of Congress, British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and academic repositories at Harvard University, Yale University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Michigan.
Training programs emulate apprenticeships and curricula found at The Henry Ford, Thames Valley Museum, Buckland Abbey, and agricultural training centers at Iowa State University and University of Missouri. Outreach partners include 4-H, Future Farmers of America, National FFA Organization, Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, and community museums such as Hilliard House Museum and Ferryhouse. ALHFAM-led workshops cover living history interpretation practiced at Plimoth Patuxet Museums and conservation techniques taught at Getty Conservation Institute and Canadian Conservation Institute.
ALHFAM promotes object stewardship and exhibition standards aligned with guidance from American Alliance of Museums, ICOM, Canadian Conservation Institute, English Heritage, and the National Park Service. Members manage collections ranging from agricultural implements comparable to holdings at Museum of English Rural Life and National Museum of Agriculture and Food Systems to archival materials similar to collections at Folger Shakespeare Library and National Agricultural Library. Standards address material culture interpretation practiced at Historic Deerfield and preservation strategies referenced by Victoria and Albert Museum and National Museums Scotland.
Category:Museum associations