Visiting the Detroit Historical Museum, a local hidden gem, allows us to step back into the past, learn and be fascinated by the people and events that have come before us. "We're based in Detroit, but we really tell the whole story of the region; we are your museum," says Elana Rugh, president and CEO of the Detroit Historical Society. "We're the only museum that keeps the Detroit area stories."
The Society, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021, focuses on preserving, remembering and honoring local history. "We think of Detroit as a microcosm of the world and what happens here is important," she says. "We certainly hope that when people, especially kids, walk through our exhibits, they can see, through the lens of what has happened, what their lives could be and be truly inspired by other people's stories."
Adds Elana, "We just passed our centennial and we are moving forward to the next 100 years and really thinking a lot about that - what will people want to know about what happened in the Detroit area during this time?"
A native of Michigan, she has always loved history and grew up going to the Detroit Historical Museum and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. "My parents were real culture fans and so we did a lot of visits to museums." Her husband and kids also love museums and they plan their family trips around them.
John Decker, the Detroit Historical Society's chairman of the board, who resides in Grosse Pointe Farms with his wife, Alexandra, and two-year-old son, Clark, says, "History is important because it gives people a sense of how we got to where we are and it gives context and a shared understanding to help us find our place in the world.
"It then helps us make decisions going forward to lead us to the best outcomes based on, at least in part, looking at what has occurred before. History plays a few different roles in the past, present and future, helping us live better and more enriching lives."
All the artifacts collected and displayed are owned by the city of Detroit, and the Society is the caretaker of this collection. "They reflect the entire Metro Detroit region and total upwards of 300,000 at our collections resource center at Historic Fort Wayne," says Elana. "Only about 5% of these artifacts are on display at any given time in the two museums; we change them out a lot, but in our lifetime, we will never get through them all."
She says people often think of museums as only dealing with the past. Still, the Detroit Historical Society also does what it calls contemporary collecting. "Our team is always looking to collect artifacts and stories that are happening today because that is our responsibility - to make sure that those are in place so that future generations know about this time in Detroit." Members are collecting stories about what happened during the pandemic in its Oral History Collections.
Usually, when a museum builds an exhibit, its curators and staff look at the artifacts they have and think about the story they want to tell. Then they talk to people to validate that story. That is how most of these institutions do their business, she explains.
"For us, the best place to start any exhibit is by hearing from the people who lived through the event. We found it's the most compelling and impactful way to tell a story." These oral history collections have really changed the way they create exhibits. Elana says she feels it is their responsibility to get it in people's own words instead of trying to imagine what it must have been like for themselves.
"So you are not just talking about facts," she says. "These are woven with the story of a person who lived there."
Its most renowned exhibition, the Detroit 67 Perspective, tells the story of the uprising in Detroit in 1967. "Over 500 oral histories were collected from Detroiters who were actually there, and what was so fascinating was that everyone, to a person, had a different experience," says Elana. "There were instances where these stories were collected from people living on the same street and on the same day and they had completely different perspectives on what happened because their memories were based on who they were."
Another oral history exhibit is the Neighborhoods Oral History Project, which discusses the city's gentrification. "It's important as these areas change that we talk to people who are still living there for 60, 70 years later or grew up there," she says. "They reflect on what it was like growing up in that neighborhood - what it looked like, what businesses were there, and all that. There is just an authenticity that we get from hearing directly from people and it is the only way we would have that perspective."
An additional oral history exhibit, implemented for its centennial, is called Boom Town: Detroit in the 1920s. Instead of just telling the stories of the companies and the buildings, it's told through the lens of a variety of ordinary people from all different backgrounds. These
everyday folks talk about what it was like to arrive in Detroit in the 1920s or build a business during that time.
The Society is also celebrating its impressive longevity by holding a 100th-anniversary celebration. Celebrating Detroit through the Decades will take place on April 29. "We are hoping to bring people together so that they can remember that we all are one city, one surrounding area and one region and to reflect on the importance of history," says John.
"For this reason, we have chosen to have the 100-year party at the Detroit Historical Museum to drive inspiration and reignite guests' interest in history and culture."
Instead of a sit-down dinner, they are hosting a strolling dinner. "This offers the opportunity for people to bump into each other and also come across and interact with the exhibits at the museum," he says. Attendees will also encounter period actors bringing these exhibits to life and can participate in a silent auction and raffle.
The opening ceremony will honor Detroit legends, who will have their handprints and signatures cast into cement for permanent display at Legends Plaza, the Detroit Historical Museum's signature outdoor exhibit.
Net proceeds from this anniversary celebration will fund educational programs, allowing more school children to attend museum field trips yearly. The event will also help support the millage campaign efforts for 2024, ensuring that Detroit's stories are told for many generations to come.
In addition to attending this gala, people can support the Society and its preservation and sharing of local history in several other ways. "By becoming a member, they showcase their commitment and make a statement to themselves and others that our collective history is important," says John.
"The second one is to follow us on social media and like and share our posts. When you show your support and when people share similar support, that may help us come together with more people." Of course, financial contributions are always welcome and needed too.
Long term, in addition to local collaborations, he has a vision of connecting with other historical institutes and historic public history museums and institutions around the country. "We do some of that now to share best practices," says John.
He adds, "There's something about Detroit that excites people to say they are from this area and are very proud of the history that is come before them and to know they're all a part of it right now."
DetroitHistorical.org
"We think of Detroit as a microcosm of the world and what happens here is important."
"History plays a few different roles in the past, present and future in helping us live better and more enriching lives."