I simply loved this book. By focusing on local museums rather than larger public institutions, the authors’ in their critical assessments provide a much clearer insight into how museums function as cultural institutions. In depicting these local museums as piece-mail cultural institutes, the authors critically assess what it is that constitutes a museum in the first place. Is the local museum mission to education, entertain, culturally indoctrinate, or simply commemoration? The diverse depiction of museums in this book shows that all of these goals are present to varying degrees in each institution, but also a factor of nostalgia for a certain construction or rendition of the past in order to reaffirm cultural identity is what keeps visitors returning.
One conclusion which seemed to be reached by many of the authors of this book was that this nostalgia is driven by modern issues of national or cultural identity. These modern issues motivate the need to reminisce about the past in a certain light. The example of “Colonial Williamsburg” in which Rockefeller retold his origin story as that of an altruistic, philanthropist in order to mask the image of new money Capitalist tycoon who was crushing the antebellum old wealth of the area is quite poignant. His contributions were shown as building up the community through monumental sacrifices when in fact his wealth had been accumulated on the exploitation of local workers. To some extent in order to attract visitors and reinforce a nationalist pride in the self-made millionaire/philanthropist these generous or even padded interpretations of history are presented for mass consumption. “Don’t forget to stop by the gift shop kids, cause capitalists like Rockefeller are why America became so rich and great!”
A final intriguing point from this book was the attention to museum authority. The matter of fact, hands on, and aesthetic presentation of objects in a museum space lend it a form of credibility that really matters, especially when it comes to indoctrinating society’s youth in specific cultural values. This book is laden with examples of ethical dilemmas as well as problems with the historical facticity of museum displays. However, one thing remains constant, that somehow this museum must sustain some form of economic viability through cultural interest, and the best way to do this is to recast history in dialogue with modern social problems. Museums are fundamentally modernist institutions!=-) I wish I would have read this book a long time ago, and I was fascinated by the ways in which elements of social constructivism and critical theory were used to assess the cultural function and dialogue of local museums.
I enjoyed your paragraph on the missions of local museums and how they are present to some degree in every institution. In other courses, reading materials focus on defining what a museum is in terms of function, finances, and professional staff. In Defining Memory, Levin and the other authors effectively show how specifically defining a museum and holding it to a standard is not the best idea. Requiring a certain level of attributes would greatly limit the number of institutions considered museums. I found Defining Memory to be a rich text on the possibilities for museums in local settings with limited resources. The examinations of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museums and the Freakatorium illustrated how artifacts/objects can be presented in non-traditional manners, but are still capable of creating a memory and narrative among patrons (despite the non-guided aspect found in more traditional settings). Levin successfully edited a work that addresses a wide spectrum of museums that have various attributes and characteristics. In approaching the topic in such a way, Levin provides the reader with an ability to apply these ideas to other museums and other arenas of public history.
ReplyDeleteYour comments about nostalgia being a product of national or cultural identity, reminded me of the Chicago Mexican Museum in the movie we saw yesterday. That museum was created by Mexican Americans, for Mexican Americans, and is located in the Mexican American community. I was taken with the idea that many of these small local museums are just that: small and local. They are focused first and foremost on what it important to that locale and the people who live there. Even the Cowtown Museum story is a product of the people of the area wanting to preserve their memory of what their past was -- not necessarily wanting to preserve what really was. Whether it's the World's Largest Ball of String or the home of a small town's most famous person, local people want the story saved as they know it.
ReplyDeleteI simply love this book, as well. This would have helped during my Master’s in Library and Information Studies. When it comes to sustaining some form of economic viability, I think this maybe harder for museums than public libraries. Public libraries are funded by local gov’t, small percentages of taxes, and donors. Museums, on the other hand, may have to open their doors to large franchises, such as coffee shops or fast food places, for consistent funding. Due to the values museums offer, society should definitely cherish them more.
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