A Trademark Approach to the Past: Ken Burns, the Historical Profession, and Assessing

Popular Presentations of the Past

Author(s): Vivien Ellen Rose and Julie Corley
Source: The Public Historian, Vol. 25, No. 3 (Summer, 2003), pp. 49-59
Published by: University of California Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3379183
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A Trademark A pproach t o t he
P as t : K en B u rn s , t he His t orical
P rofes s ion , an d A s s es s in g
P opu lar P res en t at ion s of t he
ras t
VIVIENELLEN ROSEA NDJULIECORLEY
A reviewof Not for Ou rs elves A lon e, a his t orical docu men t ary filmby K en B u rn s
abou t Elizabet h Cady St an t on an dSu s an B . A n t hon y's leaders hip of t hen in et een t h-
cen t u ry women 's right s movemen t , in dicat es s eriou s con cern s abou t t he impact of
his t orical docu men t ary filmmakin g on pu blic u n ders t an din g of t hepas t . Newways t o
en gaget hepu blic in t heproces s ofhis t orical an alys is an du n ders t an din g ares u gges t ed.
Ifan y profes s ion has as t akein t hepu blic u n ders t an din g oft hepas t , it is t he
his t orical profes s ion . A s t eachers , his t orian s in vit es t u den t s t o learn abou t
t helargecon t ou rs ofhis t ory, elu cidat in g t hedifferen cebet ween primazy
VIVIEN ELLEN ROSE is t he chief of Vis it orServices an dCu lt u ral Res ou rces at Women s
Right s Nat ion al His t orical P arkin Sen ecaFalls , NewYork, s it eof t he 1848 Firs t Women 's
Right s Con ven t ion . Theviews expres s edaret he au t hor's alon e, an ddo n ot repres en t t he
pos it ion ofWomen 's Right s NHP ort heNat ion al P arkService.
JULIE CORLEY, a s en iorman agin g con s u lt an t at LECG, is a profes s ion al his t orian wit h a
mas t er's degreefromA rizon aSt at eUn ivers it y's P u blic His t ory P rogram. P riort o join in g
LECG, Corley was t he direct orof res earch for P HREn viron men t al Con s u lt an t s , In c., a
con s u lt in g firms pecializin g in profes s ion al his t orical res earch.
49
The P u blic His t orian aVol. 25, No. 3, pp. 49-59 (Su mmer2003). ISSN: 0272-3433
TheRegen t s of t he Un ivers it y of Californ iaan dt he
Nat ion al Cou n cil on P u blic His t oryackn owledget hat t his art icle, which is t heworkof
an employeeof t he federal govern men t , is in t hepu blic domain an dcan n ot be copy-
right ed. Thu s t he Regen t s an dt he Nat ion al Cou n cil holdn o copyright fort his art icle.
Sen drequ es t s forpermis s ion t o reprin t t o Right s an dP ermis s ion s , Un ivers it y of
Californ iaP res s , 2000 Cen t erSt ., St e. 303, B erkeley, CA 94704-1223.
50 * THEP UB LICHISTORIA N
an ds econ dary s ou rces , dis cu s s in g his t oriographical debat es , demon s t rat in g
met hodologies foru n ders t an din g t hepas t , an dargu in g overn ewhis t orical
in t erpret at ion s . A s s cholars , t hey u s et hes es ames kills t o t ry t o placet hepas t
wit hin t hereach oft hepres en t , t o u n ders t an d morefu lly abygon ehis t orical
momen t an dpres en t it in n arrat ive form. Forahis t orical in t erpret at ion of
t hepas t t o beu n ders t ood, his t orian s n eedan au dien ce familiar wit h t heu s e
ofeviden ce, awareofpreviou s his t oriographical hagglin g, an dcogn izan t of
his t orical argu men t . In s hort , fort hehis t orical en t erpris e t o con t in u e,
his t orian s n eedapu blic vers edin his t ory.
Yet t hegen eral pu blic relies heavily on film, t elevis ion , an dot hervis u al
mediaforin format ion an den t ert ain men t , limit in g t heirexpos u re t o even
t hemos t fin ely craft edhis t orical n arrat ive. A lt hou gh his t orian s haveu s u ally
es chewedacqu irin g t hes u bs t an t ial s kill an dart is t ic abilit y as s ociat ed wit h
s u cces s fu l filmmakin g, perhaps t hey s hou ldn ot willin gly con t in u et o del-
egat et het as kofpres en t in g his t orical n arrat ives in n on -prin t media.
In t his art icle, welookat on epart icu lar filmmaker an don epart icu lar
film. Weas kwhet her orn ot t hehis t orical en deavor is advan ced by relian ce
on art is t s whos emediu mallows an den cou rages t heblu rrin g ofhis t orical
fact t o creat eafilmn arrat ive promot edas his t orical n arrat ive. Wedo n ot
pret en dt o be filmmakers , n ordo we argu et hat t hereis n o placefor
filmmakers in t heworkof t eachin g abou t t hepas t . In s t ead, wecon s ider
whet her t hereares t an dards t hat cou ldan ds hou ldbeappliedt o ot hermedia
as t hey areappliedt o writ t en his t orical n arrat ives : t hat s ou rces becit ed, t hat
s econ dary s ou rces beexplain ed, t hat t hen ewort hedifferen t in t erpret at ion
bes in gledou t forexamin at ion . To advan ce ou rargu men t , weat t empt t o
readafilmas t hou gh it wereawrit t en his t orical n arrat ive.
Wearequ it es u ret hat on ereact ion t o t his approach will bet o s ay t hat
films aren ot his t ory, which is merely ou rargu men t in revers e. Iffilms are
n ot his t ory, what aret hecos t s in viewin g t hemas s u ch? Simply pu t , howdo
his t orian s bes t part icipat e in t hepreparat ion an drecept ion of his t orical
docu men t aries ? Howdo t hey bes t t each s t u den t s t o an alyze films as his t ory
an das media? Can his t orian s harn es s his t orical docu men t aries t o creat ea
pu blic vers edin his t ory? Con s iderin g t hat man y import an t his t orical move-
men t s an deven t s arerepres en t ed by on ly avery fewfilms , creat in g s ome-
t hin g ofan in t erpret ive mon opoly, howdo his t orian s in vit et hepu blic t o an
awaren es s ofot herways t o u n ders t an d t hepas t s port rayed on film?
K en B u rn s is perhaps t hebes t -kn own his t orical docu men t ary filmmaker.
In his acclaimed s eries on t heCivil War(1990), B u rn s creat edat rademark
vis u al, au ral, an din t ellect u al approach t o his t orical docu men t ary. Here-
fin edt his s t ylein s everal lat erproject s , in clu din g B as eball ( 1994), Lewis an d
Clark: TheJou rn ey oft heCorps ofDis covery ( 1997), an dJazz (2001), as well
as man y epis odes ofP B S's lon g-ru n n in g s eries , TheA merecan Experien ce.
B u rn s has aloyal followin g forhis on -s it elocat ion cin emat ography, u s eof
his t orical docu men t s , du bbin g ofvoices an dn at u ral s ou n doverrepres en t a-
t iveperiodt hememu s ic, an dfocu s on great achievemen t s of A merican
TRA DEMA RK A P P ROA CH TO THEP A ST * 51
civilizat ion . Throu gh his films , B u rn s has begu n t o s hapepu blic u n ders t an d-
in g, n ot on ly of s pecific his t orical even t s , bu t of what his t oIy is , as well.
Su pport edby privat efou n dat ion s an dpu blic fu n ds , B u rn s 's compan y,
Floren t in eFilms , has als o movedbeyon dfilmt o s ou n dt racks , s pin -off
books , s t u dy gu ides , an dweb-bas edt eachin g act ivit ies , effect ively blu rrin g
t helin ebet ween filmmakin g an dhis t ory t eachin g.
B u rn s t akes t hehis t orical profes s ion t o t as k, an dhis crit icis mis s evere.
Heclaims t hat his t orian s ' workhas becomes o abs t ru s e an ds pecialized t hat
t hegen eral pu blic can n ot relat et o it , an dt hat s cholars havekilledt he
pu blic's appet it eforhis t ory. B u rn s choos es t o en gagehis au dien ceby
t appin g in t o t heemot ion al feelin gs t hat '<s eemt o eman at e fromt hecollis ion
ofin dividu als an deven t s an dmomen t s in A merican his t ory" an dt ryin g t o
t ran s lat e t hos efeelin gs fort hegen eral pu blic. "Ihopet hat in t heproces s we
can begin t o res cu ehis t ory fromt heacademy, which has don eat errific job
in t helas t hu n dredyears ofmu rderin g ou rhis t ory.''1 Needles s t o s ay, B u rn s
has becomeagadfly of t heacademic es t ablis hmen t S aroleheappears t o
relis h.2
B u rn s claims t hat he wan t s t o brin g a gen eral au dien cet o his t orical
s cholars hip. Des pit ehis crit icis mof t heprofes s ion , advis ory boards of
s cholars an dpopu larau t hors bot h s erveas res ou rces an das on -s creen
expert s forhis films . His t alen t pool in clu des bot h profes s ion al an damat eu r
his t orian s . B u rn s met hodically u s es academic an dpopu lar his t orian s t o pu t
fort h as t ory t hat he, t heart is t , wan t s t o t ell.3 In his lon eforay in t o women 's
his t ory, Not for Ou rs elves A lon e: TheSt ory of Elizabet h Cady St an t on an d
Su s an B . A n t hon y (1999), B u rn s con s u lt edadvis ors , bu t main t ain ed con t rol
of t he s t ory lin e, cas t in g his t orian s as s ou rces s hapedt o his his t orical
n arrat ive. Origin ally in t en dedt o be a filmon ly abou t Elizabet h Cady
St an t on , Not for Ou rs elves A lon e focu s edon St an t on an dA n t hon y's rela-
t ion s hip, ign orin g ot herleaders , s implifyin g an deras in g import an t debat es
in t hen in et een t h-cen t u ry movemen t , an den din gwit h alin gerin g t reat men t
oft heirdeat hs . B y overs t at in g his t orical fact t o makedramat ic poin t s , B u rn s
t u rn edt wo vit al leaders oft hen in et een t h-cen t u ry women 's movemen t in t o
cardboard s oldiers forequ alit y. Un fort u n at ely, u n likewrit t en n arrat ives , of
which t hereares everal, veiy fewfilms t reat St an t on orA n t hon y. Hen cet he
gen eral pu blic has on ly K en B u rn s 's vers ion of t heirlives an don ly his
u n ders t an din g oft heirhis t orical import an ce.
B u rn s 's con s is t en t focu s in filmt reat men t s ofheroes whet hers oldiers ,
at hlet es , polit ician s , ormu s ician s has ledhimt o overlookt hes ign ifican ce
ofin dividu als on t heirown t erms . This is t hecas ewit h t heSt an t on -A n t hon y
film. His n arrat ive, largely u n t ou ched by moret han t wen t y years ofs cholar-
1. In t erviews by DavidThelen , "TheMovie Makeras His t orian : Con vers at ion s wit h K en
B u rn s , "Jou rn al of A merzean His t ory 81, n o. 3 (December 1994): 1032.
2. Thomas Cripps , "His t orical Tru t h: A n In t erviewwit h K en B u rn s , " A merican His t orical
Review 100, n o. 3 (Ju n e 1995): 741.
3. Thelen , "MovieMaker, " 1031-1050. Cripps , "His t orical Tru t h, " 741-64.
52 * THEP UB LICHISTORIA N
s hip in t hen ews ocial his t ory, can on ly t reat women as ift hey wereheroic
men . In part , his viewt hat "his t ory ou ght t o bes u n g. ..[in ] t heHomeric
mode...[wit h] t heepic vers es ...arou n d t his 'elect ron ic campfire' [t elevi-
s ion ]" con t ribu t es t o t hemu t ilat ion offact . B u t his opin ion t hat myt h mu s t
bein clu dedas well as fact "becau s e myt h t ells you mu ch moret han fact
abou t apeople"4 is , ors hou ldbe, an in s u lt t o t hepas t an dt hegen eral
pu blic's in t elligen ce.
Not for Ou rs elves A lon e follows B u rn s 's s ign at u re format . Thet wo-
epis odes eries , airedon P B S in November, 1999, t ells t hes t oxy of t wo
n in et een t h-cen t u ry women 's right s act ivis t s in clos e-u ps ofhis t orical phot o-
graphs an ds it es , fiddlemu s ic, repeat edu s e of leit mot ifvideo clips ,
voiceovers , an din t erviews wit h s cholars . Likemos t B u rn s produ ct ion s , it
receivedawards frommediagrou ps , which failedt o con s ider accu rat e u s eof
primary s ou rces ort hecon t ribu t ion oft hehis t orical n arrat ive t o t hegen eral
u n ders t an din g oft hepas t . The2000 Chris t opher A wardwas for"alon g-
overdu elight on t het wo women in s t ru men t al in givin g A merican women
t he right t o vot e." (Chris t opher A wards , s elect edby pan els of media
profes s ion als , areforbooks , film, orbroadcas t mediat hat "exhibit excep-
t ion al art is t ic an dt echn ical proficien cy an du n iqu evis ion , [are] s ign ifican t ly
pos it ion ed t o impact t hewides t pos s ibleau dien ce. . .an d, aboveall. . .affirm
t hehighes t valu es oft hehu man s pirit .") It als o won a1999 P eabody A ward
forexcellen ce in cablean dbroadcas t media. Theaward, given by aboardof
mediaprodu cers , commu n icat ion s s t u dies s cholars , an dmediarelat ion s
expert s , prais ed"an en light en in g lookat t wo women whomhis t ory books
haves hort chan ged" an d"aremarkable job of fles hin g ou t [t he] his t oric
collaborat ion bet ween t wo ot herwis e dis parat e women ."5
A lt hou gh grou ps con s is t en t ly prais edB u rn s 's film, in t his cas efemin is t s
an ds cholars familiar wit h St an t on an dA n t hon y's lifelon g frien ds hip an d
polit ical allian cebeggedt o differ. Lin daB razill object edt o B u rn s 's
"borin gly formu laic" t reat men t , in clu din g "s accharin e fiddlemu s ic" an d
"dreamy s hot s ofleaves drift in g on t o acou n t ry railroad t rack, " argu in g t hat
t hes edevices madehis t ory "pret t y" when t hen in et een t h-cen t u Iy move-
men t was an yt hin g bu t . Reviews in t heA merican His t o7ical Review, Jou rn al
ofA merican His t ory, an dJou rn alforMu lt i-MediaHis t ory crit icized B u rn s 's
t reat men t as "blan d: n ot borin g, bu t lackin g con t rovers y, " "is olat ed fromt he
t hrivin g fieldof women 's an dgen derhis t ory, " an da "s afean dpopu lar
s t oxy...[t hat ] n ot on ly overs implifies St an t on an dA n t hon y's polit ics [bu t ]
en ds u p s hift in g t hefocu s away fromt hemen t irely."6
4. Cripps , "His t orical Tru t h, " 749.
S. P eabody A wardCit at ion , "Not ForOu rs elves A lon e: The St ory of Elizabet h Cady
St an t on an dSu s an B . A n t hon y, " www.peabody.u ga.edu /recipien t s /s earch.as p; Chris t opher
A wardP res s Releas e, n .d., www.chris t ophers .orgg00awarpr.ht ml
6. Lin daB razill, "B u rn s Mis s es MarkThis Time, " The[Madis on , Wl] Capit al Times , 18
November1999; "B u rn s Tackles Forgot t en Erain U.S. His t ow, " San Jos e Mercu ry News , 7
November1999; GayleV. Fis cher, "FilmReview, " A merican His t orical Review 105, n o. 2
(2000): 655, als o at www.his t oxycoop.orgt jou rn als /ahr/105.2/mr_l.ht ml; Nan cyIs en berg,
TRA DEMA RK A P P ROA CH TO THEP A ST " 53
That K en B u rn s 's workhas become'<borin gly formu laic, " 'Cblan d'' an d
"s afean dpopu lar" whiles hift in g focu s en t irely away fromhis prot agon is t s
bears in ves t igat ion , bot h in t erms ofvis u al an dau ral filmelemen t s . On eof
B u rn s 's cin emat ographic s ign at u res is as in gles hot repeat edt hrou ghou t t he
film. In t heSt an t on -A n t hon y piece, t heleit mot if is au t u mn leaves fallin g
on t o arailroad t rack. B ecau s et hes hot is n ot as s ociat ed in t hefilmwit h an y
part icu lar even t in eit herSt an t on 's orA n t hon y's life, it s mean in g is ambigu -
ou s . Theredmapleleaves arevis u ally s t rikin g, bu t u n an chored in t he
n arrat ive. They may be as t an d-in fort herelat ion s hip bet ween St an t on ,
A n t hon y, an dt heirreformvis ion . A lt hou gh au t u mn is t het imeofharves t , in
B u rn s 's n arrat ive, t heon ly harves t ofSt an t on 's an dA n t hon y's effort s was t he
pas s ageof t he l9t h A men dmen t , which t hey didn ot livet o s ee. Fallin g
leaves , as s ociat edwit h t hecomin gwin t er, cou ldals o bereadas an in dicat or
oft hefu t ilit y oft hes et wo reformers ' life-lon g mis s ion t o effect chan gein
women 's s ocial an dlegal s t at u s . Thou gh pret t y an dpoign an t , t heimage
gives n o clearmes s ageabou t t hemean in g oft hehis t orical even t s in which
St an t on an dA n t hon y in ves t edt heirlives . Is it mean t t o? Oris it abran din g
device, as repeat edimages arein ot herworks , u s edt o demon s t rat e clearly
t hat K en B u rn s madet his film? It s mean in g is u n clear.
Similar vis u al s t an d-in s s hadet helin ebet ween his t orical fact an dhis t ori-
cal fict ion . In filmt reat men t s , his t orical periods , region s , bu ildin gs , an d
s ou rces can an darealt eredorarran ged t o repres en t s omet hin g els e. In Not
for Ou rs elves A lon e, t he1848 Sen ecaFalls con ven t ion is placedn ot in t he
Wes leyan Met hodis t Chapel whereit occu rred, bu t in an u n relat eds t ru c-
t u repres ervedin t heGen es eeCou n t ry Villagean dMu s eu min n earby
Mu mford, NewYork. TheElizabet h Cady St an t on Hou s e, fit t edwit h
fu rn is hin gs t hat weren ot hers , was u s edfors equ en ces abou t St an t on 's
children . Likewis e, alt hou gh his t orical phot ographs areu s ed, t hey may n ot
beoft hehis t orical s u bject bein g qu ot ed, ormay beofdifferen t even t s or
places t han t hos ebein g repres en t ed in t hefilm. HereB u rn s 's n eedt o creat e
t hepas t as film, as a"s et " whererepres en t at ion s areas goodas fact , blu rs t he
lin ebet ween eviden cean din t erpret at ion .7
B u rn s is kn own forchoos in g s ign at u re mu s ic t o accompan y his films ,
mean t t o carry t hemoodoft hefilm. In t his mu s ic, B u rn s oft en blu rs t helin e
bet ween t hepas t an dt hepres en t . Viewers do n ot kn owwhet hert hemu s ic
is con t emporan eou s wit h t he his t orical periodor merely s ou n ds old.
"MovieReview, " Jou rn al of A merican His t ory 87, n o. 3 (2000): 1149-51, als o at
www.his t orycoop.org/jou rn als /jah/87.3t mr_4.ht ml; RebeccaEdwards , "FilmReview, " The
Jou rrlal for Mu lt i-Media His t ory 3 (on ly available on -lin e) at www.alban y.edu /jmmh/vol3/
ou rs elves _alon e/ou rs elves -alon e .ht ml.
7. Mary K ay Glazer, "Not ForThems elves A lon e: K en B u rn s , t heNat ion 's Leadin g
St oryt eller, Focu s es on t heB irt h ofWomen 's Right s " at ht t p: //www.s eawayt rail.com/99A R-
CHIVES/art icle_women s right s .as p des cribes B u rn s 's u s eof t heSt an t on Hou s e, an dan -
n ou n ces his accept an ce as hon orary chairpers on forfu n drais in g fort heSu s an B . A n t hon y
Hou s ein Roches t er, N.Y. Fort hefilmmakers ' des cript ion ofu s eofs t ills , s eeals owww.pbs .org/
s t an t on an t hon y/filmmers /in t erview.ht ml.
54 * THEP UB LICHISTORIA N
"A s hokan Farewell, " t hefiddlemu s ic t hat began an den dedevery s egmen t
oft he"Civil War" s eries , which was mis t aken by man y lis t en ers as aperiod
piece, was compos edby t -wen t iet h-cen t u ry folkmu s ician Jay Un gar. Un gar
an dMolly Mas on provide t hemu s ic forNot for Ou rs elves A lon eas well, an d
again , con t emporary an dhis t orical s et t in gs aremixedt hrou ghou t .8
This might havebeen avoidedhadt hemu s ician s hadmoret imefor
res earch an dformat chin g s cen es t o mu s ic. Themu s ical recordfromt he
1840s t hrou gh t he1920s in clu des man y forcefu l, bright , an dlively pieces
which might havebeen u s edt o goodeffect , in clu din g walt zes , polkas , an d
mazu rkas dedicat ed t o t hereformcos t u me, t heB loomer Dres s , revis ion s of
Iyrics ofwell-kn own hymn s t o s u pport civil an dworkin g women 's right s , an d
marches an doperas s u pport in g women 's s u ffrage. Mu s ic fromt hen in e-
t een t h-cen t u ry women 's movemen t , which might haverein forced poin t s
abou t t hewomen 's right s movemen t in gen eral an dSt an t on 's an dA n t hon y's
s t rat egies an ds t ru ggles in part icu lar, is mis s in g fromt his film. It is argu able
whet hermu s ic t hat on ereviewer s aid"readily an dwon derfu lly. . . fades in t o
t hebackgrou n d" accu rat ely repres en t s t hevit al, en erget ic, an din flu en t ial
St an t on an dA n t hon y.9
B u rn s wou ldn ot havebeen ablet o maket his filmwit hou t decades of
workby A n n Gordon , Ellen Du B ois , Ju dit h Wellman , an dot hers who have
pain s t akin gly gat hereddocu men t s , edit edan dan n ot at ed let t ers , an dwrit -
t en biographies ort opical mon ographs t hat recon s idered previou s s cholar-
s hip. B u t his n arrat ive is marredby afailu ret o u n ders t an d t hefieldort he
variou s an alyt ical pers pect ives t hat havebeen brou ght t o bearon t he
n in et een t h-cen t u Iy women 's right s movemen t . It focu s es on biography t o
t heexclu s ion ofhis t orical u n ders t an din g, cas t in g St an t on an dA n t hon y as
heroes amon g afieldofcoworkers , an dfailin g t o t akein t o accou n t emergin g
s cholars hip con t es t in g St an t on an dA n t hon y's s oleleaders hip oft hen in e-
t een t h-cen t u Iy women 's movemen t .l In addit ion , B u rn s act ively s hapes
in t erviews wit h his on -filmexpert s , cu t t in g offs t at emen t s t hat do n ot fit his
n arrat ive lin ean dlos in g rich an alyt ical an ddes cript ive opport u n it ies . Ex-
plan at ory voiceovers an don -camera in t erviews ares elect edas mu ch for
8. See, forexample, TheCivil War: Tradit ion al A merican Son gs an dIn s t ru men t al Mu s ic
Feat u redin t heFilmB y K en B u rn s : Origin al Sou n dt rackRecordin g, Non es u ch, 1990; an dNot
For Ou rs elves A lon e: Sou n dt rack, Warn erRecordin gs , l999.
9. Jimmy Smit h, "Sou n dt rackReview, " P opMat t ers In c., 1999, als o at www.popmat t ers
.com/mu s ic/reviews /s ou n dt racks /s ou n dt rack-n ot forou rs elves alon e.ht ml.
10. A n n Gordon (ed.), Elizabet h Cady St an t on -Su s an B . A n t hon y P apers : In t he School of
A n t i-Slaver (Vol. 1) (New B ru n s wick, N.J.: Ru t gers Un ivers it y P res s , l999); Ellen Carol
Du B ois , Femin is man d Su ffrage: TheEmergen ceof an In depen den t Women 's Movemen t in
A merica, - 1848-1869 (It haca, N.Y.: Corn ell Un ivers it y P res s , 1978); Ellen Carol Du B ois (ed.),
Elizabet h Cady St an t on , Su s an B . A n t hon y: Corres pon den ce, Writ in gs , Speeches (Chicago:
Nort heas t ern Un ivers it y P res s , 1992); Ellen Carol Du B ois , Woman Su ffragean d Women 's
Right s (New York: New YorkUn ivers it y P res s , 1997); Ju dit h M. Wellman , "TheSen eca Falls
Women 's Right s Con ven t ion : A St u dy of Social Net works " Jou 1n al of Women 's His t ory 3
(Sprin g, 1991): 9-37; an dJu dit h M. Wellman , The Roat l t o Sen eca Falls : Elizabet h Cady
St an t on an dt he Worn an 's Right s Con ven t ion (Chicago: Un ivers it y ofIllin ois P res s , fort hcom-
in g).
TRA DEMA RK A P P ROA CH TO THEP A ST a 55
dramat ic appeal as fort heircon t ribu t ion t o t hen arrat ive. On ehis t orian
feat u redin Not for Ou rs elves A lon e remarkedt hat B u rn s workedfrom
s cript edqu es t ion s an dt hat "helet s you kn owhis expect at ion s right offt he
bat . Hewan t s s en t en cean s wers , an dhecu t s you offift hean s wers go in t o
t het pical profes s orial paragraphs oreven pages .'2ll
B u rn s 's man ipu lat ion ofeviden ce, his mis t akes (s u ch as phot ographs of
in dividu als orplaces t hat do n ot mat ch t het ext ), an dhis omis s ion ofis s u es
t hat do n ot fit his s t ot y lin e, grat eon man y his t orian s .l2 Thes eareat t ribu t ed
t o art is t ic licen s e, an dperhaps B u rn s expect s his s cholarly advis ors t o
evalu at ehis t ot iographical argu men t s an dn as cen t s cholars hip forhim. Yet
Not for Ou rs elves A lon e does n ot appeart o havein corporat ed recen t
s cholars hip t hat challen ges t heideapres en t edin his filmt hat St an t on an d
A n t hon y weret heon ly, oreven t hemos t import an t , leaders of t hen in e-
t een t h-cen t u ry women 's right s movemen t . Heovers t at es his eviden cewit h
t heu s eofon eon -filmexpert 's s t at emen t t hat "t herewou ldben o women 's
his t oiy" wit hou t St an t on an dA n t hon y. Heas cribes s u cces s fu l an n u al n a-
t ion alwomen 's right s con ven t ion s bet ween 1850 an d1860 s olelyt o Su s an B .
A n t hon y. Heign ores t hecrit ical pos t bellu mK an s as campaign an dgives
s hort s hrift t o St an t on an dA n t hon y's n ews paper, TheRevolu t ion . Hemight
haveexploredSt an t on an dA n t hon y's polit ical an ds t rat egic differen ces an d
t heirmu t u al an ds eparat eachievemen t s n rat hert han s imply ret racin g t he
well-t rodden t riu mphal march t o t hepas s ageof t heNin et een t h A men d-
men t aft ert heirdeat hs . St an t on an dA n t hon y's s t oiy s u ffers n ot on ly from
t hefilman dmu s ic s et t in g in t o which it is forced, bu t als o fromB u rn s 's
u n willin gn es s t o en gagehis t oly.l3
11. Sally Roes ch Wagn er, "NewWomen 's His t ory Videos , " NWSA Jou rn al 12, n o. 2 (Ju ly
31, 2000): 181.
12. See, forin s t an ce, Cat herin eClin t on , "NobleWomen as Well, " 6140; Eric Fon er, "K en
B u rn s an d t he Roman ce of Reu n ion " 101-18; Gary W. Gallagher, "How Familiarit y B red
Su cces s : Milit at y Campaign s an d Leaders , " 3749; Leon Lit wack, "Tellin g t he St ory: The
His t orian , t he Filmmaker, an d t he Civil War, " 11940, in Robert B ren t Toplin (ed.), K en
B u rn s 's The Civil War: His t orian s Res pon d (New York: OxfordUn ivers it y P res s , 1996); A .
Cas h K oen iger, "K en B u rn s 's The Civil War: Triu mph or Traves t y?" TheJou rn al of Milit ary
His t ory, 55 (A pril 1991): 225-33; an d Jeffrey St . Clair, "Now That 's Not Jazz, " Michigan
Chron icle64, n o. 32 (May 8, 2001): D2.
13. Nan cy Is en berg mades ome of t hes e crit icis ms in herreviewof t he filmfort heJou rn al of
A merican His t ory (cit ed above.) Scholars hxp availablet o B u rn s , which might have brou ght
in t eres t in g in t erpret ivefocu s t o t he film, in clu deB lan cheGlas s man Hers ch, TheSlavery of Sex:
Femin is t -A bolit ion is min A merica, 1830-1860 (Chicago: Un ivers it y of Illin ois P res s , 1978);
Chris t in eSt an s ell, Cit y ofWomen : Sexan dClas s in NewYorkCit y, 1789-1860 (NewYork: K n opf,
1986); A n n B rau de, Radical Spirit s : Spirit u alis man d Women 's Right s in Nin et een t h Cen t u ry
A merica(B os t on : B eacon P res s , 1989); Jean Fagan Yellin , Women an d Sis t ers : TheA n t is lavery
Femin is t s in A merican Cu lt u re(New Haven : YaleUn ivers it y P res s , 1989); Mary P . Ryan , Women
in P u blic: B et ween B an n ers an dB allot s , 1825-1880 (B alt imore: John s Hopkin s Un ivers it y P res s ,
1990); SylviaD. Hoffert , When Hen s Crow: The Woman 's Right s Movemen t in A n t ebellu m
A merica(B loomin gt on : In dian aUn ivers it P res s , 1995); Ju lieRoyJeffrey, TheGreat Silen t A rmy
ofA bolit ion is m: Ordin ary Women in t heA n t is lavery Movemen t (Chapel Hill: Un ivers it yofNori
Carolin aP res s , 1998); Nan cy Is en berg, Sex an dCit izen s hip in A n t ebell7wmA merica, (Chapel Hill:
Un ivers ila, 7 of Nort h Carolin aP res s , 1998); Ros alyn Terborg-P en n , A frican A merican Women an d
t he St ru gglefort he Vot e(B loomin gt on : In dian aUn ivers it y P res s , 1998).
56 * THEP UB LICHISTORIA N
Yet t his filmals o illu s t rat es t hat docu men t ary filmt reat men t may n ot be
ablet o do his t orical ju s t icet o all his t orical t hemes . Ift heframein which a
his t orical argu men t is pres en t edt eaches as mu ch abou t t hepas t as t he
argu men t it s elf, viewers of B u rn s 's films learn a met an arrat ive of U.S.
his t ory focu s edon great peoplean deven t s , ablu rreddis t in ct ion bet ween
fact an dillu s t rat ive fict ion , an dapas t filledn ot wit h peoplebu t wit h t hin gs :
olddocu men t s , oldpict u res , oldplaces , oldt hin gs . Thes t ories het ells are
n ot n eces s arily t hos eoft hehis t orian s hecon s u lt s wit h, bu t rat heraret he
"vis ion of t heart is t .''l4 A s B u rn s hims elf readily admit s , "I'min t eres t ed in
t ellin g s t ories , an ecdot es ''l5 an ds eekin g an "emot ion al con s en s u s " wit h t he
au dien ce by "lift in g u p t heru g ofhis t ory an ds weepin g ou t s omeoft hat dirt .''l6
Thereis great valu ein s t oryt ellin g; t hereis even aplaceformyt h when
pres en t in g t hepas t an d, cert ain ly, B u rn s is en t it ledt o pu t fort h as t oIy from
his poin t ofview. B u t ifwehis t orian s aret o part icipat e wit h B u rn s , orwit h
ot hermembers oft hemedia, wen eedt o u n ders t an d howt hefilmmakin g
proces s works . B u rn s clos ely con t rols t heart is t ic con t en t ofhis produ ct ion s ,
an das mall grou p ofpeople(co-produ cers an dwrit ers ) do t hemajorit y of
t hehis t orical res earch on his project s .l7 Su ch adepen den ce on amat eu r an d/
orin -hou s ehis t orian s affect s t heou t comeof res earch fin din gs an du lt i-
mat ely, t hes t ory pres en t edt o t hegen eral pu blic. His u n ders t an din g oft he
pas t act ively in t erferes wit h an du n dermin es t heworkofs cholars hip, which
is t o u n ders t an d his t orical even t s in t heirown con t ext , t o evalu at e s ou rces
carefu lly, an dt o u s et hin gs as eviden ce ofact u al peoplean deven t s . B u rn s 's
formu laic cin emat ography an dmu s ical t reat men t s , whileart is t ic, det ract
fromt hehis t orical en deavorby con fu s in g pas t an dpres en t . Redu cin g
complex his t orical t opics t o s implis t ic s t ories may been t ert ain men t , bu t if
B u rn s 's in t en t ion is t o brin g his t ory t o agen eral au dien ce, hehas don e
his t oxy an dt hepu blic adis s ervice.
Thes earen ot merequ ibbles . They expos et hedan gers oflet t in g film-
makers likeK en B u rn s s hapet hepopu larhis t orical vis ion . Howis t he
profes s ion , let alon et hen at ion , s ervedby s t u den t s an dagen eral pu blic t hat
has learn edt o equ at ehis t oIy wit h blan dfilms t hat areis olat edfrom
s cholars hip? Ifmediaprodu cers areu n ablet o evalu at e his t orical an alys is
wit h s cholarly credibilit y, t o whomdo t hey t u rn forlegit imizat ion ? What
part icu lar his t orical vis ion is pres en t edt o gen eral au dien ces ? Moret o t he
poin t , what is t hegen eral pu blic learn in g abou t his t oxy, an dwhat impact
does t his learn in g haveon t hefieldit s elfT'
WereB u rn s in t rodu cin g t hegen eral pu blic t o s eriou s s cholars hip, as he
claims is his in t en t ion , perhaps t hes equ es t ion s wou ldbe moot . B u t his
cot t agein du s t ry ofaccompan yin g s t u dy gu ides , on -lin et eachin g t ools , an d
14. Thelen , "MovieMalcer, " 1034.
15. Thelen , "MovieMaker, " 1035.
16. Cripps , "His t orical Tru t h, " 747.
17. Thelen , "MovieMaker, " 1036.
TRA DEMA RK A P P ROA CH TO THEP A ST * 57
popu lar pres s books in s u ret hat fewwill movebeyon dhis con cept ion oft he
pas t . ForNot for Ou rs elves A lon e, Gen eral Mot ors fu n dedahigh-s chool
s t u dy gu ide, P B S creat edweb-bas edcu rricu lu ms u pport s , an ds cript writ er
an dcon t ract his t orian Geoffrey C. Wardpu blis hedacompan ion volu meof
s cript rehas hes an des s ays . Thelat t erreceivedcrit ical reviews fromK irku s
an dLibrary JcB rn al, as well as becomin g on ereader's primary s ou rceof
choice: B arn es an dNobles ' webs it epos t edareader's review: "B u y it . It 's
great forares earch paper." B u rn s 's filmis cit ed, alon g wit h t hes t an dard
mon ographs , in K at hi K ern 's Mrs .St an t on 's B ible. That B u rn s produ ct s are
t reat eds eriou s lyas s ou rces forres earch an darecit edin s cholarly mon o-
graphs gives u s pau s e. B u rn s is replacin g s cholars as con s u lt an t s on cu rricu -
lu m-bu ildin g exercis es an das as ou rceofs cholarly an alys is . In addit ion , he
is replacin g his t orian s wit h t he local au dien ces of n at ion ally s ign ifican t
places . Forexample, B u rn s s ign edcopies oft heWardvolu meat t hefilm
premierein Sen ecaFalls , rat hert han s t agin g s ign in gs forbooks byhis
profes s ion al an don -camera expert s . Therearefewhis t orian s wit h B u rn s 's
s t arpower, bu t rat hert han in t rodu cin g t hepu blic t o s cholars hip, hefocu s es
on hims elfan dmat erials creat edby his s t ableofau t hors .l8
Not con t en t t o movein t o market s formerly heldby his t orian s , B u rn s
compet es s u cces s fu lly at t he local an ds t at elevel foredu cat ion al an d
t ou ris mdollars , promot in g his films bot h as goodedu cat ion al produ ct s an d
as ways t o in creas et ou ris t vis it at ion t o fu el flaggin g local econ omies . It is
wort hwhile t o con s ider, again , what pu blic mon ies fromlocal an ds t at e
edu cat ion an dt ou ris mfu n ds cou ldachieveifgiven t o t hehis t orical profes -
s ion in t heformofgran t s t o workwit h local commu n it ies an dt eachers t o
s howcas e his t orical res earch s kills an dt hehis t ory oft helocal area. Credit s
forNot for Ou rs elves A lon ein dicat et hat B u rn s garn eredmajorfu n din g
fromlocal s chools an dfromNewYorkSt at e's OfficeofTou ris m, in addit ion
t o fou n dat ion gran t s . A glan ceat t he credit s of his morerecen t films
con firms t hat t his pat t ern con t in u es . B u rn s profit edby t helegit imat ion
providedby t hes cholars who gracedt his film.l9
Qu it eapart fromwhet herB u rn s 's filmmakin g proces s , con s u lt at ion wit h
s cholars , an dcreat ion ofcot t agein du s t Iy s cholars hip pres en t gen eral au di-
en ces wit h s kewedu n ders t an din gs oft hepas t , wit h Not for Ou rs elves A lon e
B u rn s als o s u pplan t edhis t orian s in t hefields of local developmen t an d
pres ervat ion . Local boos t ers weret hrilledt o hos t B u rn s : 'Xlet han kK en
B u rn s . . .forfocu s in g t heworld's at t en t ion on ou rcommu n it y an dwelcome
t heman y vis it ors who will comet o s eet hehis t oric s it es , " Sen ecaFalls , New
18. ht t p: //s hopaol.barn es an dn oble.com/books earch/is bn In qu iry; K at hi K ern , Mrs .
St an t on 's B ible(It haca, N.Y.: Corn ell Un ivers it y P res s , 2001), 226; forK en B u rn s 's res pon s es
t o his t orical qu es t ion s fromP B S viewers , s ee www.pbs .org/s t an t on an t hon y/filmmakers /
filmmakers _foru m/foru m .ht ml.
19. In addit ion t o ot herfu n din g, B u rn s receiveda$200, 000 gran t fromNewYorkSt at et o
produ cet he St an t on -A n t hon y t reat men t . Seewww.n yloves biz.com/P res s /1999/bu rn s rel.ht m
fort herat ion aleforprovidin g s t at ereven u es t o boos t local econ omies .
58 * THEP UB LICHISTORIA N
Yorklu min aries s t at ed. B ecau s e heis s o well kn own , his agreemen t t o s erve
as hon orary chairpers on ofafu n d-rais in g campaign fort heSu s an B . A n -
t hon y Hou s ein Roches t er, NewYork, rais edn eededdollars foramat chin g
his t oric pres ervat ion gran t .20
Ifprofes s ion al his t orian s areirkedat B u rn s 's s u cces s fu l filmt reat men t s
oft heeven t s t hey haves t ru ggled t o u n ders t an d an dport ray u s in g profes -
s ion al his t orical s t an dards , it might be t imet o exercis en ewopt ion s in
s hapin g pu blic u n ders t an din gs oft hepas t . His t orian s can learn t o repres en t
his t orical s cholars hip moreeffect ively in pu blic s peakin g an don camera; we
can en gagein filmcrit icis min ou rlocal an dregion al mediaou t let s ; wecan
in s is t on his t orical expert is e on evalu at ion boards formediaawards ; wecan
workt hrou gh ou rprofes s ion al as s ociat ion s t o pu blicize mediaawards given
byt heprofes s ion vian at ion al mediaou t let s ; an dwecan con s ider t rain in g
ou rs elves an dou rs t u den t s t o an alyze mediaforhis t orical s ou n dn es s ort o
creat emediat hat repres en t s t hepas t accu rat ely an din t eres t in gly.
Fewacademics havelearn edhowt o commu n icat e effect ively wit hin
B u rn s 's an dot herdocu men t ary produ cers ' world t hat is , t o gives peeches
an don -camera in t erviews t hat t ell his t orical s t ories in con cis e, compellin g
ways . Remain in g on mes s age, orret u rn in g qu ickly t o on e's main poin t in
fron t ofacamera ormicrophon e, is as kill t hat requ ires t rain in g an dpract ice.
Commen t at ors s hou ldbeablet o dis t ill t hees s en ceofahis t orical argu men t
an dplaceit in t erms t hat reach agen eral au dien ce. A lt hou gh providin g s u ch
on -camera pres en ce wou ldn ot provide con t rol overt hehis t orical n arrat ive
in filmort elevis ion , at leas t ou rcon t ribu t ion s might bemoreoft en u s edan d,
t hu s , s u pport moreaccu rat e his t ory. Fu rt hermore, ou ru n ders t an din gs of
s ou rces an deven t s might bepres en t edas weu n ders t ood t hem, rat her t han
as min orelemen t s oft hefilmmakers s cript .
His t orian s cou ldbegin , t hrou gh filmreviews ors hort op-edpieces , t o
expos et hes hort comin gs in heren t in mediapres en t at ion s oft hepas t . Media
an alys is pieces in local papers cou ldhelp readers an alyzefilmas well as
ot herkin ds ofvis u al orn arrat ive pres en t at ion s , by illu s t rat in g hows ou rces
havebeen u s edormis u s edan ddirect in g t hemt o morereliables ou rces .
In deed, his t orical docu men t aries cou ldbe u s edas dis cu s s ion poin t s for
libraries , s chools , Rot ary, an dChambers of Commerce, wit h his t orian s
s eivin g as gu ides t o what has been left ou t an dwhat s t oxies s t ill n eedt o be
t old.
When givin g awards t hat hon ort hehis t orical con t ribu t ion ofapart icu lar
film, his t orian s cou ldmaket heevalu at ion proces s cou n t t owardedu cat in g
t hepu blic n ot on ly abou t fact s bu t abou t t heproces s ofhis t ory. Throu gh
t heirprofes s ion al as s ociat ion s , his t orian s cou ldin s is t t hat mediaawards
20. "Two women who chan gedhis t ory t o behon oredin villagewhereit began , " Sen eca
Falls , N.Y.ReveiUe/B et ween t heLakes , 23 Sept ember1999; www.s u s an ban t hon yhou s e.org/
n ews /bu rn s .ht ml forK en B u rn s 's pres s even t an n ou n cin g his s u pport oft heSu s an B . A n t hon y
fu n drais in g campaign .
TRA DEMA RK A P P ROA CH TO THEP A ST * 59
grou ps in clu dehis t orical expert is eon t heju dgin g boards of t heiran n u al,
ext remely well-pu blicized awardpres en t at ion s . P erhaps an agreemen t
cou ldbereachedt o pu blicize t heawards given by his t orical as s ociat ion s for
his t orical docu men t ary films at t hes amet ime. His t orical as s ociat ion s cou ld
als o n omin at e an dadvocat e forfilms t hat accu rat ely port rayed t hepas t .
A n ot her opt ion is t o t each s t u den t s howt o readhis t orical docu men t aries
foreviden ceof t het ools of his t ory: foru s eof s ou rces , forn arrat ives t hat
mis mat ch ormis repres en t t heaccompan yin g vis u als ort hat in adequ at ely
illu s t rat e his t oriographical debat es abou t t hemean in g of t heeven t bein g
pres en t ed, forn arrat ive-s t ru ct u res t hat s u pport his t orical in qu iry. A n d
his t orian s might choos et o learn howt o do t heworkt hems elves . If t he
con s en s u s his t ory oft hepas t was , as Leon Lit wack poin t s ou t , "n ot s o mu ch
an abs en ceof s ou rces as afailu reof his t orical imagin at ion an dcommit -
men t , ''2l t hen perhaps wehis t orian s of t he"n ewhis t ory" s hou ldas kou r-
s elves ifweareagain failin g t o u s eou rimagin at ion in ways t hat can en gage
t hegen eral pu blic. Whet herorn ot on ebelieves t hat B u rn s 's t rademark
approach con n ect s wit h au dien ces ort eaches t heman yt hin g abou t t hepas t ,
his is n ot t heon ly t reat men t opt ion . Web, video, radio, film, an dt elevis ion
all n eedt rain edhis t orian s t o evalu at e an dpres en t in format ion ; t his is even
moreimport an t when t het opic in volves his t orical an alys is . A lt hou gh his t ory
an dmediaprograms arebegin n in g t o appear, u n dergradu at e an dgradu at e
his t ory programs ou ght t o con s ider ways t o gives t u den t s t heopport u n it y t o
produ ceweb, video, radio, film, orlocal acces s t elevis ion pres en t at ion s
abou t his t orical t opics , an dacademically-bas ed his t orian s might begiven
credit t owardt en u rean dreleas et imefors u ch effort s .
In ou ropin ion , it is moret han t imeforhis t orian s t o learn t helan gu ages
oft hemarket ers oft hepas t , an dt o u s et hes elan gu ages t o expan dt heirown
au dien ces . This is import an t n ot on ly becau s eK en B u rn s has creat edhis
own his t orical in du s t iy t hat en cou rages apu blic ret reat t owarda"con s en -
s u s " his t oxy of heroes an dgreat men an dwomen , bu t becau s ehis t oxian s
can n ot con t in u et o fail t o en gaget hepu blic ift hey wis h t o havean y abilit y
t o s hapean u n ders t an din g, n ot on ly oft hepas t , bu t oft heproces s ofdoin g
his t ory.
21. Leon Lit wack, "Tellin g t heSt oxy: TheHis t orian , t heFilmmaker, an dt heCivil War, " in
Robert B ren t Toplin (ed.), K en B u rn s 's TheCivil War: His t orian s Res pon d(NewYork: Oxford
Un ivers it y P res s , 1996), 124.