BBS Historical

I’m Dr. Barbara Berglund Sokolov. Let me put history to work for you. I was a tenured history professor at a large research university and most recently the historian at an urban national park. Now I consult on a range of historical projects. I bring the best of academia and expansive, hands-on, practical experience to deliver top-notch historical products that are smart, compelling, relevant, and accessible.

Intrepid Researcher • Elegant Writer • Bold Storyteller

Making the past relevant to society today.

Historical Expertise

Getting the facts straight is just the beginning… Let me help you with:

  • Historical research to aid the legal process
  • Vibrant content informed by the latest scholarship
  • Archival research & oral history

Articles & Books

cover of the Western Historical Quarterly

Western Living Sunset Style in the 1920s & 1930s

Western Historical Quarterly (2006)

book cover to "Making San Francisco American", by Barbara Berglund

Making San Francisco American

Univ. Press of Kansas (2007)

Praise for

logo of Golden Gate Park 150 Years

Top Picks

Books to celebrate GG Park at 150 Years

“This book is deeply researched, richly illustrated, and superbly written. A model work, possibly a classic. Highly recommended.”
logo for CHOICE
Choice
Choice Outstanding Academic Title
“Berglund’s accomplishment goes well beyond a forceful and entertaining narrative of late 19th-century San Francisco. It is a deeply textured analysis of urban disorder and order, amusement and prejudice, locality and nation-making. While other authors have treated San Francisco’s social and cultural categories in the abstract, Berglund’s book sets these forces in motion and shows their embodiment in real lives and venues. This book is at once about a city and a nation—both entities in the throes of forming imperial identities.”
headshot of David Igler
David Igler
author of Industrial Cowboys: Miller & Lux and the Transformation of the Far West

Public History

I confess, I have been bored by history too… which is why it is so important to do it WELL:

  • Engaging on- and off-camera expertise for documentary films
  • Powerful, enriching workshops for leaders and activists; companies and institutions
  • Gifted discussion facilitator and panel moderator, digital or face-to-face

Storytelling

History is more than just names and dates… When it connects with people, it comes alive.

  • Energizing, grounded content for exhibitions, interpretive programs, and tours
  • Collaborative, meaningful institutional and community histories
  • Community engagement

Please get in touch!

I’d be happy to join you in conversation about how my expertise can help you on your next project.