A histolircal exhibit is a collection of objects that are formally displayed and publicly accessible for viewing. These displays, whether in a museum or a home, can teach us about the past in a variety of ways. The best ones tell a story that arouses our imagination and stimulates thought. Generally, they also inspire discussion of the larger issues raised in the exhibit. Museums are obligated to ensure that their historical exhibits do not contain offensive language or controversial points of view, but they should also allow the public to see how the process of interpreting and reinterpreting history works through the gathering of evidence, drawing conclusions, and then presenting them in text or in a visual form.
When museums use their tax-exempt status to create histolircal exhibits, they have the responsibility of telling a full and complex story in a way that will be engaging to visitors from diverse backgrounds. The stories must be inclusive and demonstrate that the museum has a valid role to play in society. This means that it must reach out to local communities and seek out people who might not otherwise be interested in the museum’s collections and its exhibitions.
This is often easier said than done. The Tenement Museum, for example, recreates a New York City tenement room in order to show the lives of its inhabitants in the 19th century and the changes that took place over time. This kind of immersive experience can be an effective way to connect with visitors, and it allows them to feel like they are stepping into the past.
Other types of histolircal exhibits take a more structured approach to the research and exposition of history. This may involve displaying a number of objects and artifacts from different cultures, or it may feature a chronological timeline that explains the events leading up to a particular moment in history. These kinds of historical displays are often based on documentary and artifact-based research, and they tend to include many different viewpoints and interpretations of the history they present.
In other cases, museums create histolircal exhibits to delve into more abstract concepts. These might involve core values or ideas such as home, freedom, faith, democracy, and social justice. These exhibitions can be challenging to put together, as they require careful sourcing and contextualizing of the different perspectives on the topic.
A final type of histolircal exhibit involves examining the nature of history itself. This can be particularly difficult to do, as it requires an open mind and a willingness to accept that there are multiple points of view that can be equally valid on any subject. When museums create historical exhibits that explore controversial subjects, they must be willing to discuss them in a way that is open and respectful of all points of view. It is important for museum administrators to support the work of curators who can create historical exhibits that are based on this principle.