Every year, museums across the country interpret America’s past for millions of visitors. Some institutions, like the National Museum of American History and Colonial Williamsburg, attract the attention of international audiences; others, such as the New-York Historical Society, appeal primarily to local audiences. The exhibition medium is uniquely suited to address the broad public demand for meaningful engagement with the past. Exhibits, more than monographs or even lectures, tell inclusive visual stories that combine research and interpretation with objects to evoke deeper understanding of complex topics.
Exhibits can take a variety of forms, from an immersive theater experience to a series of vignettes that allow visitors to place themselves in a particular time and place. They can use a mix of historical objects, photographs, art, and graphics to illustrate a particular cultural phenomenon or historic event. They can also use re-created spaces and interactive devices to bring historical concepts to life.
Regardless of their form, all good museum exhibits have in common a commitment to making historical information accessible and understandable to a broad audience. Ideally, these exhibitions are grounded in the most recent historical scholarship while expanding the parameters of our knowledge through an imaginative marriage of ideas and objects. In addition to their intellectual underpinnings, the exhibition medium is distinguished by its collaborative nature. A well-conceived show draws upon the expertise of a host of people, including historians, curators, designers, and production staff. In addition to their management and interpersonal skills, they must have a deep understanding of the material culture of their subjects and be able to convey that culture in three-dimensional, visual terms.
While many exhibitions rely on the use of catalogues, videotapes, and live history presentations as ancillary products, they should ultimately stand on their own, independent of these other forms of presentation. By publishing exhibition reviews, Perspectives can contribute to the literature on historical presentations in museums, fostering a discussion of the ways that these works expand our understanding of the past.
This column will focus on examining the most compelling museum exhibitions. While it may examine important collecting initiatives, innovative programs, and scholarly accomplishments, the primary focus will be on exhibitions. This is in recognition of the fact that these exhibitions are the primary way that most people encounter and understand the past, especially in our increasingly specialized culture. The most successful exhibitions are those that use historical subjects that speak to a wide range of audiences, including those in small towns and neighborhoods that might otherwise be underserved by museums. Exhibits that explore such themes as ritutlarity, food and drink, personal and family history, and abstract ideas such as home, freedom, faith, or democracy, can help museum staff connect with their communities in a way that reaches beyond traditional scholarly boundaries. This is the kind of work that museums need to do to demonstrate that they deserve their tax-exempt status.