'History Detective' to speak in Salt Lake City

Simple objects can open a pathway to understanding of complex ideas. "Buildings, books, letters, military objects, clothing — all these material things can tell us about family life, individual attitudes, communal actions, the history of language, the impact of environment. A whole range of ideas that seem vague and confusing can all come together in a single object," says Gwendolyn Wright, also known as the "History Detective" on PBS television.

That notion comes from two aspects of Wright's personal career: as a historical investigator but also as a professor of architecture at Columbia University. And it will be central to her remarks as the keynote speaker at the 56th annual State History Conference.

Wright will speak Thursday evening at the Salt Lake Public Library. The conference, which is open to the public, will continue Friday and Saturday, with sessions on such things as Wallace Stegner, historical archaeology, Salt Lake City then and now, the Mountain Meadows Massacre, as well as a tour of the newly refurbished Utah State Capitol and more.

In a telephone interview from her home in New York, Wright talked about her upcoming visit as well as her experiences with architecture and history.

Her latest book, "USA: Modern Architecture in History," deals with how buildings and their contents affect our lives and how that has differed at one time or another. It looks at how our homes affect family structure and how we live; how office work has been done over the years; and how public places, such as churches, schools, government buildings and museums, impact how people come together, interact and view life.

What Salt Lake City is going through right now with the restructuring of its downtown is a very exciting example of that, she said. "In the past, the way people looked at a downtown was to destroy the old and replace it with new. But now we ask 'What do we want to hold on to? How can we respond to our environment to make it better?' It's a much different approach than it would have been in the '50s," she said.

It will be fascinating to see how it turns out, but know this, she also advised: "However you try to figure out how it will all work, it will always be a little different. No matter how carefully you try, architects and designers can never quite control everything, because life can't be totally controlled."

That's a lesson Wright has learned on the "History Detective" series, as well. Tracking down the history and significance of objects often takes her places she didn't think she'd go. "It's not so much that we are looking for 'a truth' as we are thinking, what are the questions we should ask?"