Lynne Calamia
@lynnecalamia.bsky.social
Philadelphia-based public historian, museum worker, and historic preservationist. She/her.
🏭 Executive Director of Roebling Museum where we tell stories about a steel mill and the surrounding company town
🏭 Executive Director of Roebling Museum where we tell stories about a steel mill and the surrounding company town
Before I started working at Roebling Museum, never in a million years did I think I would care this much about wire rope
September 21, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Before I started working at Roebling Museum, never in a million years did I think I would care this much about wire rope
Remember starter packs?
Creating a Historic Preservation starterpack! Comment or DM to be added, or let me know if I missed anyone.
go.bsky.app/D9w1NYJ
go.bsky.app/D9w1NYJ
August 9, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Remember starter packs?
Go to this. It’s free. And I’m going to be there.
Our next History Hour is tomorrow at 3 p.m. Eastern. Join AASLH's Small Museums Committee for a fun and lively conversation about museum gift shops and what makes them work. Register at tinyurl.com/HH0725.
July 22, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Go to this. It’s free. And I’m going to be there.
No, no, no—we have the Thomas Paine memorial parking lot in Philly. Not quite as impressive as a chipotle but slightly more historically accurate
July 15, 2025 at 1:37 PM
No, no, no—we have the Thomas Paine memorial parking lot in Philly. Not quite as impressive as a chipotle but slightly more historically accurate
You should register for this free event on Tuesday July 22 at 3pm! The series is a great excuse for museum people to get together and share ideas about different topics— this month is all about gift shops.
Our best seller is the Slinky but I want to know what works at your site 🎁
Our best seller is the Slinky but I want to know what works at your site 🎁
Attend our monthly and free community-building event! Meet your peers and join the AASLH Small Museums Committee for a fun and lively conversation about museum gift shops and what makes them work. History Hour is on July 22 at 3 p.m. ET. Register at tinyurl.com/HH0725.
July 14, 2025 at 12:42 AM
You should register for this free event on Tuesday July 22 at 3pm! The series is a great excuse for museum people to get together and share ideas about different topics— this month is all about gift shops.
Our best seller is the Slinky but I want to know what works at your site 🎁
Our best seller is the Slinky but I want to know what works at your site 🎁
Reposted by Lynne Calamia
things i love:
people
thinking
creating
researching
sharing things with people
learning from other people
trying to be kinder
being increasingly human
people
thinking
creating
researching
sharing things with people
learning from other people
trying to be kinder
being increasingly human
June 29, 2025 at 3:10 PM
things i love:
people
thinking
creating
researching
sharing things with people
learning from other people
trying to be kinder
being increasingly human
people
thinking
creating
researching
sharing things with people
learning from other people
trying to be kinder
being increasingly human
I assume you like to see stuff like this @johngmarks.com
June 28, 2025 at 5:56 PM
I assume you like to see stuff like this @johngmarks.com
Museum update: Not only did a woman donate Old Stuff (that we really want) from her family, but she also showed me photos of her new grandson. That means it’s working. I’m proud of this photo and I hope it shows up in my annual review at work.
June 21, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Museum update: Not only did a woman donate Old Stuff (that we really want) from her family, but she also showed me photos of her new grandson. That means it’s working. I’m proud of this photo and I hope it shows up in my annual review at work.
Reposted by Lynne Calamia
What is common knowledge in your field, but shocks outsiders?
White cotton gloves are not for use with paper-based books. We use them for some photographs and artifacts, but for handling “regular” rare books the professional standard has been clean, dry hands for decades.
White cotton gloves are not for use with paper-based books. We use them for some photographs and artifacts, but for handling “regular” rare books the professional standard has been clean, dry hands for decades.
June 17, 2025 at 11:18 PM
What is common knowledge in your field, but shocks outsiders?
White cotton gloves are not for use with paper-based books. We use them for some photographs and artifacts, but for handling “regular” rare books the professional standard has been clean, dry hands for decades.
White cotton gloves are not for use with paper-based books. We use them for some photographs and artifacts, but for handling “regular” rare books the professional standard has been clean, dry hands for decades.
As a museum worker and a museum attendee, this is an interesting read. Overcrowding may be a problem I’ll never have— a busy day for us is 40 people— but this article brings some of the field’s inspider baseball issues to the public in a way that I don’t often see.
apnews.com/article/louv...
apnews.com/article/louv...
The world’s most-visited museum shuts down, sounding the alarm on overtourism
The Louvre Museum has failed to open on time Monday, leaving thousands of visitors stuck in long, unmoving lines.
apnews.com
June 16, 2025 at 3:51 PM
As a museum worker and a museum attendee, this is an interesting read. Overcrowding may be a problem I’ll never have— a busy day for us is 40 people— but this article brings some of the field’s inspider baseball issues to the public in a way that I don’t often see.
apnews.com/article/louv...
apnews.com/article/louv...
When something you wrote about for your dissertation is in the news— with a lot of local boat drama! ⛵️⚓️
The War of 1812 vessel behind legendary battle cry of "Don't Give Up the Ship!" is an icon of resistance in its Erie, Pa. harbor
So why did Pa. state officials literally give up the ship to Canadians who laid off local workers?
@jessebunch.bsky.social investigates www.inquirer.com/news/pennsyl...
So why did Pa. state officials literally give up the ship to Canadians who laid off local workers?
@jessebunch.bsky.social investigates www.inquirer.com/news/pennsyl...
Pennsylvania museum officials ‘gave up’ the state ship to a Canadian crew, former sailors say
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission violated federal maritime code, which says 75% of a Coast Guard ship's crew must be U.S. citizens.
www.inquirer.com
June 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM
When something you wrote about for your dissertation is in the news— with a lot of local boat drama! ⛵️⚓️
A lot of museum work is sweeping and setting up/breaking down tables. So much so that there should be interview questions about it 🧹
May 14, 2025 at 1:42 AM
A lot of museum work is sweeping and setting up/breaking down tables. So much so that there should be interview questions about it 🧹
This should be studied in public history classes
I took my son to the Please Touch Museum yesterday, and I was reminded of the time when people got angry at the museum for clarifying that its Star Wars content was just for kids. www.phillymag.com/things-to-do...
May 5, 2025 at 5:52 PM
This should be studied in public history classes
Reposted by Lynne Calamia
Join ACH, AHA, & MLA to talk about the appeals process for terminated NEH grants. Why is it important to appeal and how might you go about doing so? 11am Eastern on Wed, April 30.
Please share!
Please share!
Join us Tomorrow, 4/30 at 11am est for an Information Exchange about the NEH Appeal Process. This event is hosted by the Association for Computers and the Humanities, the American Historical Association, & the Modern Language Association. Register and find more info at: buff.ly/bfVNUhR
Event: Information Exchange about the NEH Appeal Process
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ach.org
April 29, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Join ACH, AHA, & MLA to talk about the appeals process for terminated NEH grants. Why is it important to appeal and how might you go about doing so? 11am Eastern on Wed, April 30.
Please share!
Please share!
Historian pop quiz: I need to see inside the homes of Black and immigrant steel workers (or similar industry) to help research for a furnishing plan. 1930s/40s. Where do I look?
Ideally it would be northeast (NJPA). In my dreams, it would be in a company town.
Ideally it would be northeast (NJPA). In my dreams, it would be in a company town.
April 22, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Historian pop quiz: I need to see inside the homes of Black and immigrant steel workers (or similar industry) to help research for a furnishing plan. 1930s/40s. Where do I look?
Ideally it would be northeast (NJPA). In my dreams, it would be in a company town.
Ideally it would be northeast (NJPA). In my dreams, it would be in a company town.
During the recession, I served as an Americorps VISTA volunteer. Those two years of making ~$800 a month at a museum in Trenton NJ changed the entire trajectory of my life.
I want my taxes to go to programs that work for the public good.
I want my taxes to go to programs that work for the public good.
Hearing the same from a direct source. People in Americorps being told they're done. It's over. No notice.
My bff’s son works for Americorps and received a decommissioning letter today. DOGE is gutting the program. I’m so angry and disappointed DOGE would go after a program that does such good work. @marisakabas.bsky.social @kairyssdal.bsky.social @katiephang.bsky.social
April 16, 2025 at 12:47 PM
During the recession, I served as an Americorps VISTA volunteer. Those two years of making ~$800 a month at a museum in Trenton NJ changed the entire trajectory of my life.
I want my taxes to go to programs that work for the public good.
I want my taxes to go to programs that work for the public good.
Have you ever found a historical document that is perfectly and exactly what you were looking for?
April 8, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Have you ever found a historical document that is perfectly and exactly what you were looking for?
Projecting history words on historic buildings to announce a protest? 👀 #publichistory
The call rings out again: every friend to this country, to themself, and to posterity is called to The Common at 11am on April 5th, to make a united and successful resistance to every destructive measure of this administration.
#silencedogood #nokings #boston #resist
#silencedogood #nokings #boston #resist
April 4, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Projecting history words on historic buildings to announce a protest? 👀 #publichistory
My small museum got an email terminating our NEH grant. We thought it was spam and were afraid to open the attachments.
Sorry for the paywall. But here's the skinny on what's happening.
DOGE has indeed infiltrated us. This morning, many of our grant recipients woke up to an email informing them their funding has been canceled.
NONE of us knew about this.
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/a...
DOGE has indeed infiltrated us. This morning, many of our grant recipients woke up to an email informing them their funding has been canceled.
NONE of us knew about this.
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/a...
DOGE Demands Deep Cuts at Humanities Endowment
The National Endowment for the Humanities, which supports museums, scholarship and historical sites, could see grants curtailed and staffing slashed by up to 80 percent.
www.nytimes.com
April 4, 2025 at 12:25 PM
My small museum got an email terminating our NEH grant. We thought it was spam and were afraid to open the attachments.
Fund the humanities
a man in a white shirt and tie is playing a drum in a band
ALT: a man in a white shirt and tie is playing a drum in a band
media.tenor.com
March 22, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Fund the humanities
Hey, why isn’t there as much rage from museum people? Do I just follow more librarians than I think? (Writing this after posting zero museum rage.)
March 20, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Hey, why isn’t there as much rage from museum people? Do I just follow more librarians than I think? (Writing this after posting zero museum rage.)
Sometimes I like to go to museums like this too
March 20, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Sometimes I like to go to museums like this too
Reposted by Lynne Calamia
It might be a good idea for folks in the US to start keeping paper based journals and diaries for future historians about now.
March 4, 2025 at 1:30 AM
It might be a good idea for folks in the US to start keeping paper based journals and diaries for future historians about now.
Someone should do this about museums in Philly 🏛️
If you’re a Philly area scientist (or other professional threatened by federal cuts) reach out to me if you’d like to write an op-ed for @phillymag.com about the impact: bpearson at phillymag dot com
Join us! Science Homecoming helps scientists reconnect with communities by writing about the importance of science funding in their hometown newspapers. We’ve mapped every small newspaper in the U.S. and provide resources to get you started. Help science get back home 🧪🔬🧬 🏠
sciencehomecoming.com
sciencehomecoming.com
February 24, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Someone should do this about museums in Philly 🏛️