Greenfield Village update
reading: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1372&context=hilltopreview
"Interpretation is
about how we communicate our collections to our users.
As museums, we should use our collections to tell stories and
to convey identifiable
meaning. Interpretation enables museums to
communicate the wonder of their collections, connect with their
users, and engage with diverse audiences." source
- narrative/telling a story
- telling a story has personal authenticity
- or a story carries meaning to that culture
- a narrative might be more impersonal
- or a narrative involves cause and effect and
what you think is important
- it isn't just facts but also an
interpretation
- why should you care?
- what do you want your audience to learn?
- positioning (who is your audience and why they
should come)
thesis of the article: "nostalgia and antiquarianism are not
problems inherent to living history." To make this point the author needs to distinguish
between costumed re-enactors and costumed interpreters (and today
we also have live action role playing and fandom conventions)
why use costumed interpreters?
"Greenfield Village finally embraced living history in the early
1980s, at the very period when practitioners were working to
reclaim the technique from nostalgic reenactors and antiquarians."
Living
History Academy
- romanticized view of that
particularly history
- what do they value and why are
they doing it
what does authenticity mean in this context?
- accuracy
- how theatrical is it
appropriate to be?
- difference between costumed
interpreters and costumed re-enactors
new theme: compare different eras, particularly domestic life
which they saw as a common denominator
