THE CHALLENGE OF INTERPRETING THE PAST

By Patrick A. Foltz

Local History Notebook, November / December 1985

Interpretation isn't something bought for a museum out of a catalog, like acid-free paper for land grants or leather dressing for an old saddle in the backroom. Yet interpretation can do more for the quality of a museum program than a carload of curatorial supplies.

Defining Interpretation

Interpreting collections improves the chances that visitors will understand what they see when they visit a museum. Freeman Tilden, who first discussed interpretation in a museum context, defines it as "an educational activity which aims to reveal meanings and relationships through the use of original objects by first-hand experience, and by illustrative media, rather than simply to communicate factual information." Despite the textbook tone of this definition, Tilden's description of interpretation relates directly to what should be done in local history museums.

Museums exist because historical objects can teach something about the past. Unfortunately, the objects preserved and displayed do not communicate well by themselves. When a child asks what a butter churn is, the churn does not automatically open its lid and begin telling how the pioneers made butter or quote the 1850 census statistics on the number of operating creameries in an upstate Ohio town. It sits there, being quietly historical, just like its counterpart in the antique shop sits there being obviously for sale. Without additional clues, only the signs on the buildings tell which churn is which. Many museums without interpretive programs can look like antique shops. Visitors frequently treat them as such as they browse among the old things, stopping to examine or admire whatever interests them, without ever being aware of how the objects relate to one another and to the history of the community. These "attic" museums are not what their sponsors intend them to be--places where you can learn something. Functionally speaking, a modern museum should have more in common with a classroom than with an antique shop.

Interpretation works by associating the unfamiliar and familiar object with familiar backgrounds or contexts. A picture or another nonverbal clue to an object's significance (e.g. a map, photo, or sketch) is always worth more than a thousand-word exhibit label. People can be counted on to glance at a photograph; printed words (especially large numbers of them) are a different story. Effective interpretation does two things: it provides the visitor with the background information necessary to understand the meaning of the exhibited objects, and it also communicates this data in a way that complements rather than detracts from the enjoyment of those objects. Good interpretation does not intrude.

Using Labels and Graphics

Faced with the problem of providing interpretive programs, many museum curators resort to labels. Most people equate museum interpretation with labels. However, relevant, well-written labels represent only one part of a good interpretation plan. For example, a label which informs the reader that a particular bobbin-winder was donated in memory of a person says absolutely nothing about bobbins or why they needed to be wound.

A label on an old glass reservoir gas pump explaining its function, original location, years of operation, and its local importance might require 50-100 words. The average visitor, who comes to the museum to see things and not to read words on a wall, will probably skim only one or two sentences. As a result, he or she will walk away knowing only part of the story. Bad or unnecessary labels are worse than no labels at all, since they can distract and even misinform the viewer.

We can furnish the same basic information about this object by using a photograph of a 1920s "gas jockey" using a similar pump to fill the tank of a Stutz Roadster. A photograph of the station from which it came (or a brief label identifying its location and noting the date of the first gas station in town), will give most viewers all the data they need to know about the pump's time period, function, and significance.

Taking the process a step further, we can make the pump say more about itself. Filling the glass reservoir-tank with colored water will simulate its appearance when full of gasoline, illustrate a little-known fact about early gasoline (it was white, pink, or purple) and demonstrate the function of the "measuring marks" on the side of the reservoir.

We can now use the "interpreted" pump to explain related items in the collection. Surrounding it with other automotive artifacts from the same era creates an "environmental grouping," in which the setting and the relationships among individual items contribute to the visitor's understanding of their function and significance. Some labeling will be necessary, but not as much as would be required if each piece had to be identified and explained individually. Period rooms and recreated historic interiors use this same basic technique.

Interpreting objects in this way also involves the visitor. Most museum exhibitions are considered passive forms of communication; they sit waiting to be viewed and understood. Yet, an installation that encourages viewers to figure things out for themselves (using carefully designed clues) is likely to be more fun and effective than one providing everything you need to know about the topic in color-coordinated 24-point type. Good interpretation does not teach or tell; it comments and guides.

The gas-pump exhibit is a relatively simple, straightforward example of how interpretation can be used to improve the presentation of museum objects. However, the same concepts can be applied successfully to larger topics and to other types of museum programs.

Interpretive programs using docents or tour guides should consider their presentation as a form of labeling of a museum's collections. A memorized presentation equates facts with understanding and ignores the needs and backgrounds of the audience to which it is presented. Interpretation, in this context, involves tailoring the message to the audience by having the interpreter interact with the visitors. Simple questions like "Where are you folks from?" or "Have you ever visited this museum before?" can permit the interpreter to adjust his or her presentation for maximum impact. While maintaining this relationship requires discipline and energy, the benefits of "live" interpretation make it well worth the effort.

Developing Interpretive Programming

Effective interpretive museum programming is a challenging, complicated business which requires solid research, a relevant collection, and careful planning. In some situations the museum's resources and collections may reflect individual personalities and interests rather than the history of the community. Research projects may emphasize certain topics (genealogy, or historical biography, for example) to the exclusion of other equally important subjects (social and economic development, or industrialization and transportation changes). The ultimate effect of this kind of research is an organization that lacks a firm grasp on the history it is dedicated to preserving and promoting.

In the course of formulating this policy you will be forced to examine key areas in your community's history. In doing so, look for information concerning:

These are the points which your organization should attempt to address in its interpretive programming. If an object does not help museum visitors understand or answer one of these questions, the museum should not exhibit it. Perhaps the organization should not even own it. When this philosophy is part of your museum's operating policy, and visible in your collection and research activities, interpretation becomes a relatively easy task.

Conclusion

Little has been said about the actual mechanics of interpretation. The reason for this lack of "how-to" information derives from the author's long-standing insistence that interpretation is a creative act rather than a technical one. A pamphlet can provide step-by-step guidance in encapsulating a favorite old document or matting a brittle print, but no book can tell you how to present the story of a community's pioneer years with an iron pot, a rusty rifle, and half of a mummified birch-bark canoe. In interpretive projects, imagination counts at least as much as neatness.

However, there is some helpful literature available on the subject. Arminta Neal's books on exhibition design and William Alderson's definitive work on the interpretation of historic sites may prove especially useful to you. They provide practical, understandable approaches to interpretation as it applies to two major museum activities.

Interpretation is not something new, but its increasing use in smaller local museums should be viewed as an extremely positive sign. The classic nineteenth-century view of a museum as a building full of display cases full of old things is giving way to a more positive, active image of a museum as a place where people can learn something about their past and ultimately something about themselves. One difference between the "old" museum and the "new" one is in the modern museum's willingness to help the audience understand the value and significance of its collections. The difference is interpretation.

Suggested Reading

The following suggested readings are available through the Local History Office Lending Library.

Neal, Arminta. Exhibits for the Small Museum: A Handbook. Nashville, Tennessee: American Association for State and Local History, 1976.

Schroeder, Fred. Technical Leaflet no. 91. "Designing Your Exhibits: Seven Ways to Look at an Artifact." Nashville, Tennessee: American Association for State and Local History, 1976.

Tilden, Freeman. Interpreting Our Heritage. 3rd ed., Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1977.

Patrick A. Foltz is the executive director of the Montgomery County Historical Society in Dayton, Ohio. He has served as director of the DeWitt Historical Society of Tompkins County in Ithaca, New York, and as an archivist for the New York State Historical Association. An alumnus of the Cooperstown Graduate Program in American Folklife Studies, Mr. Foltz has held office in the Ohio Museums Association and the Midwest Museums Conference. He has also served as a reviewer for the Institute of Museum Services and as a consultant for the Museum Assessment Program of the American Association of Museums.

The Local History Notebook is edited and published by the Ohio Historical Society's Local History Office, in order to bring useful information to persons working in the local history field. The selection of subjects and authors is based on inquiries to the Local History Office and on the editor's determination of issues which are timely in nature and lasting in scope. The reference inserts are copyrighted 1985, the Ohio Historical Society. Reprints are available; please specify volume and number. For information on prices, write to: