The Power of Historical ExhibitsThe Power of Historical Exhibits
Every year, history museums, from large institutions such as the National Museum of American History and Colonial Williamsburg to smaller entities such as the California Afro-American Museum or the Oneida Historical Society, interpret America’s past for millions of visitors. They are touchstones that keep history alive for people of many backgrounds, interests, and perspectives. Museum exhibitions allow the public to interact with historical objects and ideas in ways that scholarly monographs, popular books, or public lectures cannot. This interplay between history and people, between research and interpretation, between artifacts and material culture, imbues the exhibition medium with its particular strengths and challenges.
In addition to communicating information and research results, historical exhibits communicate socio-political messages as well. They can celebrate a national holiday or commemorate a tragedy, and they often challenge the audience to consider different points of view. Museums have the unique ability to convey this complexity and encourage debate with a broad public. In fact, museum audiences are more likely to be stimulated by controversial and challenging material than is the case with other forms of historical discourse such as academic writings or television documentaries.
Museum exhibitions range from highly researched, text-heavy historical overviews to creative visual storytelling. They can be rooted in a single art historical period, like a retrospective exhibition that canonizes the work of a single artist; or they can focus on an event or concept, such as the Holocaust Memorial or a Civil Rights anniversary. Some exhibits include few artifacts while others are dominated by them; both types of exhibitions can engage visitors in memorable ways.
As such, the museum exhibition is a powerful tool for understanding history; however, it can also be an effective vehicle for promoting cultural and social values, including diversity, equality, and freedom. This type of exhibition can address topics that are often censored or otherwise obscured by the media and which are important to both individuals and society as a whole, such as issues related to war, crime, slavery, and immigration.
In the twenty-first century, museums must do more than simply present informational and factual displays. They must demonstrate the value of their tax-exempt status by proving that they are not only repositories for historical objects but that they provide a vital service to the citizens of their communities. They must also show that they deserve the public’s support by encouraging informed debate about their content and ensuring that their exhibitions reflect the complexity of the world’s history. To do this, they must develop exhibits that are inclusive and visually told. This is why exhibition reviews are so important.