The Currency of History
This issue, focused as it is on both public history and digital history, prompts much reflection on how historical work and historical ideas circulate. In “Research-Led Digitization” by Ellen Feingold and Leigh Gardner, the question of circulation is both literal and metaphorical. These cowrie shells, held in the National Numismatic Collection at the National Museum of American History, are just one example of the West African currency they have digitized. The authors describe the processes by which they digitized this collection and intentionally built relationships with educators to ensure the use of these digital records.
Photo courtesy of National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
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