History in the making

By Matthew MacArthur

Welcome to the National Museum of American History’s new blog!  As the director of the museum’s New Media Program, and “editor-in-chief” of the blog (I love that old-school title), allow me to make some introductions.

The name of the blog, “O Say Can You See?”, is an obvious reference to the Star-Spangled Banner, the giant flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen what would become our National Anthem after the British attack on Baltimore in 1814.  The flag is now one of our most treasured artifacts and the centerpiece—literally—of our revitalized building.  But we hope the title also conveys our intent to share an insider’s view of the terrific work that goes on at America’s flagship history museum.  On this page you will be hearing from a wide variety of people involved with the museum who will be talking about what they do and the things that excite them about their work and about history.

The author in the construction zone
The author in the construction zone

Of course, this is a historic time in the life of our museum as well.  We’ve been closed for almost two years for renovations—a dramatic and disruptive event for an institution that is dedicated to serving millions of visitors each year.  It’s been quite an adventure for those of us coming to work each day in a construction zone, and has certainly had an impact on those visitors we have had to reluctantly turn away.  We think that the improvements to our facility, which itself had become a rather well-worn historical relic, will be worth the wait.

We look forward to sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of this exciting but frenzied time with you as we put the finishing touches on the building and prepare to reopen.  Of course, you can also find more information on our Web site, or receive regular updates in your inbox by subscribing to our e-mail newsletter.  We hope you will visit often and let us know what you think.  Enjoy!