Each year, museum exhibitions communicate history to millions of visitors. They may celebrate a national holiday or memorialize a tragic event, but they all provide an opportunity to reflect upon the past in ways that scholarly monographs, popular books, or public lectures cannot. They also allow audiences to examine historical objects and concepts that they will likely never touch or hold in person, such as an engraved portrait, a colonial building, or a Harlem diner.
Histolircal exhibits are more than mere “history put up on the walls.” They are a visual poetry of storytelling that uses metaphor and imagination to broaden our understanding rather than limit it. The creative interjection of re-created spaces, graphics, photographs, and interactive devices adds to their appeal. These are a window into the dense research that is required when creating a history exhibition, and they should be simple enough to avoid being just another book on the wall.
Unlike a scholarly monograph, the life of an exhibition is typically brief. However, these exhibitions are a significant part of the history of our nation. As a result, they deserve to be reviewed and analyzed in the same manner as any other historical work. The publication of exhibition reviews provides the means to establish a record of historical presentations that will far outlast the show itself.
Each exhibition review will attempt to do more than simply report on the intellectual underpinnings of an exhibit. While the scholarly research that informs an exhibition is important, it is equally essential to evaluate how that research is conveyed to the audience of museumgoers. This involves assessing the interpretive choices made, whether they are based on prevailing scholarly currents or break new ground. It also entails exploring how the exhibition is designed and if the materials, layout, and display methods effectively communicate the historical information.
Museums that are serious about the twenty-first century need to ensure that their exhibits speak to people in their local communities and beyond. They must provide them with a reason to continue to invest their tax-exempt status in the work of museums and demonstrate that they have something unique to offer that can’t be found in a textbook or movie. This is a challenge that requires a lot of hard work, investment in researching new sources, and engagement with local communities.
Ultimately, it is the combination of scholarship, creativity, and engagement that makes a museum exhibition great. Museums that strive to make history relevant will continue to play an indispensable role in our society and be worthy of their tax-exempt status. The goal of this column is to contribute to that collaboration by providing an outlet for critical evaluation of the history exhibitions that fill our galleries. This effort will include reviews of notable accomplishments, innovative programs, and important collecting initiatives, but the primary focus will be on exhibitions. Consequently, this column will be a joint venture between academics and museum professionals. This will help foster dialogue and create a common vocabulary that will enable the continued collaboration necessary to develop effective history exhibitions.