Historic House Torture
On September 21, 2022 cartoonist Stan Kelly posted up one of his legendary editorial drawings for The Onion. If you’ve ever heard the adage, “behind every bit of sarcasm is a kernel of truth,” then any museum professional working in a historic house or small museum might want to take a deeper dive into this cartoon.
Historic House Torture was infuriating for a split second – how dare someone insult our field!
Upon deeper inspection (and some deep breaths), we realized Stan Kelly isn’t wrong. Even a little. There are plenty of people who:
don’t find museums welcoming to them
think that museums are stiff, boring places with no fun
believe that museums don’t offer the same level of entertainment as other activities
want to experience museums without a human guide or interpreter
and many other negative views!
Based on this cartoon, here are some points and questions to consider:
Stop romanticizing the “olden days.” We know too much about daily life and the treatment of anyone who wasn’t a white, protestant, male. Think about the “others” at your museum – what story would they tell a listener today?
Furniture and art are beautiful and amazing – and there are absolutely people who want to know the origin or that chair, the material of that textile, or who painted that landscape. Many would prefer to know about who sat in that chair (or who wasn’t allowed to), who wore the clothing, and the story of why that painting is hanging on the wall.
Almost all of your visitors are there for the first time – you need to offer an introductory experience! Do not take a deep dive into the people, places, and things. Give entry-level information dotted with questions to the visitors so that they can think and engage about the place they are in.
Not everyone who walks through your door wants to be there. Whether it’s a toddler on the verge of naptime or a spouse who is missing an afternoon with friends, it’s important to recognize that just because they paid admission, they’re not happy. What can you do to get that person on board?
Share the whole story. All of it. The family successes and the family failures. The people who worked in or were enslaved in the place. The women and girls. The role of children. You have a responsibility to be inclusive.
The architecture of your museum may not allow you to have a fully accessible experience, but how can you make your spaces more comfortable. People may start a tour with gusto and become winded after a long flight of stairs. Backs may be become sore. Be sure to describe your experience honestly and, if possible, provide comfort.
Make it OK to be on someone’s bucket list. It’s OK to go to Philadelphia for the Fourth of July or Salem for Halloween. History is sometimes part of a larger entertainment experience. How can you be entertaining and educational?
It’s OK to meet people where they are and help them to understand and appreciate the story you have to tell.
These points and questions are not meant to be a substitute for sharing well-researched information. Museums have a duty to share truthful and trusted information – in fact, one pandemic silver-lining was the finding that museums are among the most trusted institutions! As staff, planners, and consultants we work in layers. Our research may be deep and cover centuries of histories or decades of scientific research, but this does not mean that the general public is ready for us to dump all of that knowledge on them in one sitting.
We owe it to our visitors to meet them where they are.
If you need some classic information about creating a fantastic, welcoming interpretive experience, Interpreting Our Heritage by Freeman Tilden remains a go-to guide. You’ll have your naysayers – the ones who say that your work isn’t enough; the story is too focused on a topic that isn’t of their liking; it’s not academic enough. But, we have a responsibility to the public to welcome them into our stories – our art, history, science, play, and more – and to ensure that museums remain trusted institutions.