Historians can be categorized based on their approach, audience, and purpose. Here’s a general breakdown from the most scholarly to the most narrative-driven:
- Academic Historians – These are professional historians, usually with PhDs, who conduct original research, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and contribute to the academic study of history. Their work is often theoretical, analytical, and deeply sourced.
- Example: A university professor writing a book on frontier economics based on archival records.
- Public Historians – These historians work outside academia, often in museums, historic sites, archives, or government agencies. They focus on making history accessible and engaging for the public while maintaining scholarly rigor.
- Example: A historian curating an exhibit at a history museum or writing an interpretive panel at a historic site.
- Popular Historians – Writers who produce history books intended for general audiences. They may have academic training but prioritize readability and engagement over deep historiographical debates.
- Example: A bestselling author writing about the California Gold Rush in a way that appeals to casual readers.
- Journalistic Historians – These historians approach history with a journalist’s eye, emphasizing compelling storytelling, investigative research, and connections to current events.
- Example: A journalist writing a book on the Dust Bowl using interviews, personal stories, and archival research.
- Historical Novelists – Writers who blend history with fiction, using real events, places, and people but taking creative liberties to fill in gaps or enhance the story.
- Example: A novelist writing about a fictional prospector in Bodie during its boom years.
- Folk Historians / Local Historians – These are individuals, often self-taught or community-based, who preserve and share regional or family histories. They rely on oral traditions, personal research, and local records.
- Example: A longtime resident documenting the history of a small Mojave Desert town through interviews and old photos.
- Storytellers / Mythmakers – These historians focus on lore, legends, and dramatized history. Their accounts may be based on real events but are often embellished or fictionalized for entertainment.
- Example: A storyteller spinning tales of Death Valley Scotty’s hidden gold in a campfire setting.
Each type plays a role in how history is understood and shared. Academic historians establish the facts, public historians interpret them, popular historians make them engaging, and storytellers keep them alive in culture.