Should I ask this question or save it for later?

I’ve been thinking a lot this trip about the saying that history is written by victors, but I think what is talked about less is what is worth saving?

Preservation can be costly, especially for pieces that require maintenance. They may take up space. They may be items that may have more immediate short-term benefits to repurpose or sell than hold onto for. Value is complex and can depend on 5 million different things. What will become of the crystal and silver your parents got for their wedding they kept in their china cabinet that you now have no idea whatt to do with? Pawn shops don’t see a use or market for these items. What will their perception be like in 20 years. What about 50? 100?

Yet—I don’t think that is the correct question to ask. What is worth saving and what is saved seem to have little overlap. We know about King Tut because he was such a minor scale pharoh (no offense to him, but it’s not his fault he became pharoh at like 8-9 years old and then died 10 years later) among those resting in the Valley of the Kings, that tomb raiders forgot about him when all other pyramids were plundered . If not for this oversight, what then? He is the most well known pharoh of our time!

It can even change our perception of the past. Looking at clothing and shoes from past eras, you’d think people were tiny! In reality, those are the shoes that have lasted the longest because they were likely the shoes less worn (children grow out of shoes quickly, and smaller sizes are ones most often last to go out of stock).

Museums, at any given time, only show a fraction of their collection. Even then, what is in private collection? What was misplaced or destroyed whether it be accidentally or intentional? Art, despite its preservation teams, isn’t typically made to last. What if they’re absolutely bungled like that Jesus Fresco restoration , which now is more famous for an entirely new reason? Now the original interpretation is pretty overshadowed by the ugly, the influx of tourists to see it only confirm this!

What about the things that were once commonplace, out of vogue deemed a waste to keep when keeping up with new innovation…but what about shame? The Jim Crowe Museum of Racist Memorabilia makes a strong case for its existence—these items are things that people have no idea what to do with now. These aren’t things you can sell, surely. Do you throw them away?

I wonder what this means in the digital age, though discussions are already happening around lost media and the lack of hard copies. The internet and digital age has led to a firehouse of information, but less about its preservation. Especially in a world where profit margins are becoming more important than ever. Take cartoons for example! It was a huge deal that Warner Brothers even agreed to let a smaller company screen a shelved movie (which, I made sure to see at the movies like it was my civic duty ), which has now also led to a new agreement to release Coyote Vs. Acme!

What would you wish we could preserve better? What do you think will be well preserved this generation?