Kitty Axelson-Berry founded the organization in 1995. Personal historians record and present clients'
memories and
biographies in various formats, including
books,
audio,
video, and
personal websites. Prices are reported to vary widely, depending on the services offered in each case. and by wealth management companies to help improve bonds with their potential clients. Personal historians also provide input to publicly funded
oral history projects. Personal historians have been described as comprising "journalists, psychotherapists, social workers, nurses, videographers, gerontologists, and people from other helping or writing professions", as "retired teachers, journalists, genealogists, and therapists..." In each case they form "[g]enerally a one-person conglomerate of ghostwriter, editor, and publishing house...". as "a growing cottage industry of amateurs and professionals eager to preserve the experiences of older generations." All APH members are expected to abide by the organization's
code of ethics. Practitioners often have training in skills such as
interviewing techniques,
desktop publishing, video and/or audio production, as well as some knowledge of
geriatrics or other disciplines. ==Governance and dissolution==