Curated History
Some of history's greatest stories are preserved not in the places where they happened, but in the museums, archives, and private collections that have carefully safeguarded them. In this section, I'll share the collections I've explored, the artifacts that captured my attention, and the stories they continue to tell. Each visit offers another opportunity to connect with the people, events, and ideas that have shaped our world.
Recent Posts
Kunsthistorisches Museum
There are moments in travel when a space becomes an experience, and the grand staircase inside the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna is one of those moments. We expected to see art on the walls, but instead, we found ourselves standing within it. The staircase rises in sweeping marble curves, framed by towering columns and crowned […]
Hospital in the Rock
Beneath the streets of Budapest, carved into the natural cave system under Buda Castle, lies the Hospital in the Rock, a place where history exists not above ground, but hidden within it. Originally developed in the 1930s, the hospital was built into the caves as a secret medical facility, designed to operate during times of war. Its […]
KGB Museum
While traveling in Tallinn, Emily and I visited one of the most fascinating historical sites in the city: the Hotel Viru and KGB Museum. What appears from the outside to be a typical large hotel from the Soviet era holds a remarkable and somewhat chilling story hidden within its upper floors. The hotel opened in 1972, during […]
War Museum
Marty and I flew to Auckland to teach our Pediatric seminar, arriving a couple of days early so we can explore a bit of New Zealand’s North Island. Whenever we travel for teaching, we try to understand the place we’re in, not just the seminar room, but the history and culture that shape the people […]
Museum for Human Rights
Before heading to the airport after teaching in Winnipeg, we had a couple of hours and chose to explore the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. It is not a traditional museum in either its design or its purpose. The building itself rises in glass and stone, with walkways that gradually lead upward. The museum is relatively new, […]
Hingham Historical Society
While visiting Hingham for the day, we stopped by the Hingham Historical Society to learn more about what this town is most proud of. Hingham is one of the oldest towns in Massachusetts, founded in 1635, and its museum captures much of the town’s story, from its colonial roots to its maritime heritage and civic […]
Dedham Historical Museum
I went to visit the town green in Dedham, Massachusetts for its colonial markers and instead found myself stepping into the Dedham Historical Society and Museum. Almost immediately, I felt I had encountered a kindred spirit in the woman who greeted me at the door. Here was a whole museum designed and dedicated to the […]
Framingham History Center
The home of the Framingham History Center is as much a historical artifact as the collections inside. The Center is housed in the former Edgell Memorial Library, a late 19th century structure that was completed in 1898. It was constructed as a public library through a private gift from philanthropist George Loring Edgell. This was an era when […]
Oskar Schindler’s Museum
While visiting Krakow, we made our way to this powerful museum: Oskar Schindler’s Factory. Of course, his story had already been etched into public memory through the Oscar-winning film Schindler’s List, but standing in the actual factory where so much of that history unfolded brought a different weight to the story. The Oskar Schindler’s Museum […]
Great Hunger Museum
When I visited Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum in 2017, it was clear this was created with the purpose to give a voice to a chapter of history. This museum was founded to tell the story of the Great Famine: An Gort Mor. This story was not just about crop failure but also about political failure, of policies that […]
