Each year, hundreds of historical exhibitions open in museums throughout the country. Often crafted and shaped by the best of current scholarship, these shows contribute mightily to expanding our knowledge of the past. Yet until recently, very few scholarly publications devoted attention to them. Even now, the literature, vocabulary and form of museum exhibition reviews is still evolving. This column aims to fill the gap. Each review will examine the intellectual underpinnings of an exhibit. It will probe the question: Does this show reflect prevailing scholarly currents and does it offer new insight? But just as importantly, each review will also examine what the exhibit conveys to the visitor. It will explore the extent to which an exhibit succeeds in telling a compelling, human story. It will consider whether the exhibit enables the viewer to place the story in his or her own historical context and to grapple with its complexities.
The uniqueness of museum exhibitions lies in their ability to convey the complexity of the past. Exhibits allow us to glimpse a history that cannot be fully understood and that is continually reshaped by shifting perspectives. They raise issues of significance that deserve informed discussion by citizens with diverse ages, interests and backgrounds. They sometimes celebrate common events and occasionally memorialize tragedies or injustices. Exhibits, therefore, can play a vital role in society, but they should never be used to promote uncritical points of view.
Ultimately, the success of an exhibit depends on the quality and breadth of its research and the skill of its execution. In the best cases, an exhibit combines a scholar’s research and passion with an imaginative marriage of ideas and objects. It is this marriage of research and creativity that distinguishes an effective exhibition from a mere “book on the wall.”
The subjects of exhibitions range from the familiar–family histories, ethnic or regional heritage, the development of urban centers–to the more abstract–ideas like freedom, democracy, religion, family, home, or community. Because these subjects resonate with the lives of people across the nation and the world, a wide variety of museum collections can be drawn upon to support them.