Oral History and Museum Exhibits: Catering to the Audience
From OHA Wiki
When planning an exhibit that incorporates oral history interviews, there are many things that should be considered to effectively present the exhibit to the public. An important aspect of museum management that should be considered is the length of time it will take to get through the exhibit. In a traditional exhibit solely based around text and image panels, the time will vary depending on the person, but with an exhibit focused on oral history, each portion of an interview should be added into the time it will take to walk through the exhibit.1 Repetition should also be considered when selecting the oral testimonies to be used. There might be two equally compelling stories that could be included, but if they tell of a similar experience, both histories might lose the attention of the visitor. However, it may be necessary to include similar stories to illustrate the power of tradition and storytelling or to emphasize a particular point. Merging several stories together can also be powerful and will show how many different individuals experienced a similar event. If the exhibit chronicles a specific event, it is important that the oral histories include as much information about that event as possible while still remaining interesting and not overwhelming for the visitor.
Sound bleeding is a major concern when placing oral histories into an exhibit. In an open space, sound can carry and might affect the next section of the presentation. There is the option of using headphones or an audio tour for the visitors, but that might not be appealing for the organization or for the visitor. The extra device might create an additional barrier for the viewer who does not wish to use it, and that visitor will not hear the personal accounts. There is also an additional cost and upkeep of such devices, which may not be within the budget of the institution.2
There are many aspects of an exhibit that can be manipulated to compel the visitor to focus on the oral history accounts. Lighting changes can be very effective in this respect, and the institution might choose to keep the lights low to accent the oral history interviews. If the institution integrated the oral histories into a material object exhibit, lower lighting might not be an option, but in an exhibit that is centered on oral history, lower lighting might be helpful. In many cases, oral history has been restricted “to the walls, listening posts, booths, earphones or worse still, libraries.”3 However, it is possible to center an exhibit on oral history that will engage the visitors and capture their attention.
Why Include Oral History?
Oral histories can be used in a variety of ways to enhance a museum exhibit. Using different multimedia devices together with print, audio, and video files, allows for different cultures and audiences to appreciate the exhibits and the museum.4 The different interactions that can take place in modern museums are also a way to better relate objects to the past and to memory. Audiences interact more effectively with objects on display if they are able to make a personal connection to them, and integrating oral history brings objects to life. One of the most important aspects of integrating oral histories in exhibits is the increased audience that will appreciate the presentation. In the past, only visitors who could read and interpret text would be able to comprehend exhibits, but the introduction of oral history will allow larger numbers of visitors to interact and engage with the historical material being presented.5 Being able to relate to an exhibit or story is an important way in which an audience can become influenced by history, and oral histories can open that door of communication.
Max Herman, the chief oral historian for the New Jersey Historical Society, participated in an exhibit on the Newark Riots, which included a considerable amount of oral history in the exhibit. Herman stated in 2007 that museums tend to smooth out history and make it politically correct and tidy for the public, but in reality “there’s not necessarily one version of history. There’s a cacophony of voices all telling stories from a different perspective.”6 This is an important aspect of museum management that is occasionally overlooked. Some institutions try to avoid controversy by telling one side of a particularly unsettling subject, but including oral history testimony in exhibits can allow these organizations to present both sides while consistently remaining objective.
Continue this discussion here with Oral History and Museum Exhibits: Successful Exhibits.
Related Pages
Oral History and Museum Exhibits: An Introduction
Oral History and Museum Exhibits: Successful Exhibits
Oral History and Museum Exhibits: Opposition and Technology
Oral History and Museum Exhibits: Looking to the Future
Oral History and Museum Exhibits: A Bibliography
References
1 Anna Green, “Returning Oral History to the Community: Oral History in a Museum Setting,” The Oral History Review 24, no. 2 (Winter 1997): 60.
2 Green, “Oral History in a Museum Setting,” 68.
3 Green, “Oral History in a Museum Setting,” 72.
4 Irene Nakou, “Oral History, Museums and History Education” (paper presented at the conference “Can Oral History Make Objects Speak,” Nafplion, Greece, October 18-21, 2005).
5 Nakou, “Oral History, Museums and History Education.”
6 Brad Parks, “Oral history exhibit captures a summer of unrest,” Everything Jersey Blog, posted September 25, 2007, http://blog.nj.com/ledgernewark/2007/09/oral_history_exhibit_captures.html.
