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Perspectives on Public Relations Historiography and Historical Theorization pp 48–68Cite as

‘Where the Quiet Work is Done’: Biography in Public Relations

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Abstract

Building on the oldest biographical evidence to date, this study argues for more attention to biography in public relations history. Despite the increasingly abundant and global historical perspectives emerging in the body of knowledge, the field of public relations continues to hold to a tradition of recognizing a few who, with some exceptions, have largely crafted their own entries in the historical record. This chapter addresses ‘great man’ history, perspective, context and the lines between public and private — all familiar challenges to historians made perhaps even more challenging when seeking out historical actors who were not only conscious of their legacies, but also perhaps more adept than most at shaping them.

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Authors
  1. Margot Opdycke Lamme
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Media & Communication, Bournemouth University, UK

    Tom Watson (Professor of Public Relations) (Professor of Public Relations)

Copyright information

© 2015 Margot Opdycke Lamme

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Cite this chapter

Lamme, M.O. (2015). ‘Where the Quiet Work is Done’: Biography in Public Relations. In: Watson, T. (eds) Perspectives on Public Relations Historiography and Historical Theorization. National Perspectives on the Development of Public Relations. Palgrave Pivot, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137404381_4

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