I'm John Pettit, an archivist pursuing a M.A. in History from Temple University. Although I've been working for a few years in the field, I found my way to public history in a rather roundabout way. I also attended Temple for my undergraduate study double majoring in Geography and Urban Studies and Film and Media Arts. At times they've felt like competing interests, but overlapped with documentary film and media which became my primary focus. Throughout my undergraduate career I was fortunate enough to work a variety of jobs that gradually drew me into the field of public history. Both Scribe's 'Precious Places' oral history project and my work in Temple University Libraries Urban Archives did this and continue to shape the way I think about history and storytelling.
I'm interested in late 19th-20th century history and the use of different forms of media to convey history and tell stories.
