As newcomer to the museum field, I was not sure what to expect when HPP invited a group of local museum professionals on an overnight study trip to Washington, D. C. The opportunity to see museums selected by the HPP staff—from well-established institutions to the brand-new—was enticing, as was the chance to meet some of my colleagues.
Although the itinerary included museums of varying sizes and missions, the general theme of the trip was Abraham Lincoln. Of the five institutions we toured, four featured a Lincoln exhibit, which allowed an opportunity to see how different museums handled the subject in their own fashion.
Our first stop was the National Portrait Gallery, which staged a show called “One Life: The Mask of Lincoln.” The exhibit presented photographs and artistic renderings illustrating how the trials of Lincoln’s presidency changed him physically and discussed Lincoln’s canny understanding of his public image. The exhibit also offered commentary by the curator, available via cell phone (though the subsequent text message urging me to “Save 20% in our Museum Stores” did not add much to my visitor experience.).
We then viewed the National Museum of American History’s new Star Spangled Banner gallery and “Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life.” It offered a standard narrative of the Lincoln story from beginning to end, with a liberal use of objects from the Smithsonian’s exceptional collection. Lincoln’s famous hat, for example, greeted visitors as they entered. The presentation of the hanged assassins’ hoods and manacles as we exited was a striking way to address Lincoln’s story after his “extraordinary life” ended and provided a standout feature in an exhibit crowded with information.
After spending a comfortable night at the eclectic Hotel Helix, we visited the Newseum. Their exhibit “Manhunt: Chasing Lincoln’s Killer,” delivered exactly what it advertised. It dealt very little with Lincoln himself— except in the manner of his death—and instead tracked the motives and methods of John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices. Since the Newseum specializes in the history of journalism, they told much of the story through newspaper accounts and photographs. Media-centric in its mission, the Newseum also highlighted the importance of Alexander Gardner, often referred to as “Lincoln’s Photographer,” who was featured to varying degrees in all of the Lincoln exhibits.
From the Newseum we traveled to our last stop, Lincoln’s Cottage. After all of the exhibits we visited, stuffed with mementos of Lincoln’s remarkable life and tragic death, the sparseness of the Cottage was refreshing. The museum staff made the conscious decision not to display any furniture or belongings, and yet successfully overcame the lack of interpretive material by synthesizing audiovisual technology and seamless old-fashioned tour guiding. The guide kept us in situ with expert efficiency, rarely mentioning Lincoln’s life before becoming president, and never mentioning his death, thus bucking the trend set by the other exhibits.
This trip gave us all ideas about the different ways that a specific subject might be presented, and will hopefully provide food for thought when planning our own exhibits.
Jennifer Green is the Visitor Experience Coordinator at The Mill at Anselma Preservation and Educational Trust.
Although the itinerary included museums of varying sizes and missions, the general theme of the trip was Abraham Lincoln. Of the five institutions we toured, four featured a Lincoln exhibit, which allowed an opportunity to see how different museums handled the subject in their own fashion.
Our first stop was the National Portrait Gallery, which staged a show called “One Life: The Mask of Lincoln.” The exhibit presented photographs and artistic renderings illustrating how the trials of Lincoln’s presidency changed him physically and discussed Lincoln’s canny understanding of his public image. The exhibit also offered commentary by the curator, available via cell phone (though the subsequent text message urging me to “Save 20% in our Museum Stores” did not add much to my visitor experience.).
We then viewed the National Museum of American History’s new Star Spangled Banner gallery and “Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life.” It offered a standard narrative of the Lincoln story from beginning to end, with a liberal use of objects from the Smithsonian’s exceptional collection. Lincoln’s famous hat, for example, greeted visitors as they entered. The presentation of the hanged assassins’ hoods and manacles as we exited was a striking way to address Lincoln’s story after his “extraordinary life” ended and provided a standout feature in an exhibit crowded with information.
After spending a comfortable night at the eclectic Hotel Helix, we visited the Newseum. Their exhibit “Manhunt: Chasing Lincoln’s Killer,” delivered exactly what it advertised. It dealt very little with Lincoln himself— except in the manner of his death—and instead tracked the motives and methods of John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices. Since the Newseum specializes in the history of journalism, they told much of the story through newspaper accounts and photographs. Media-centric in its mission, the Newseum also highlighted the importance of Alexander Gardner, often referred to as “Lincoln’s Photographer,” who was featured to varying degrees in all of the Lincoln exhibits.
From the Newseum we traveled to our last stop, Lincoln’s Cottage. After all of the exhibits we visited, stuffed with mementos of Lincoln’s remarkable life and tragic death, the sparseness of the Cottage was refreshing. The museum staff made the conscious decision not to display any furniture or belongings, and yet successfully overcame the lack of interpretive material by synthesizing audiovisual technology and seamless old-fashioned tour guiding. The guide kept us in situ with expert efficiency, rarely mentioning Lincoln’s life before becoming president, and never mentioning his death, thus bucking the trend set by the other exhibits.
This trip gave us all ideas about the different ways that a specific subject might be presented, and will hopefully provide food for thought when planning our own exhibits.
Jennifer Green is the Visitor Experience Coordinator at The Mill at Anselma Preservation and Educational Trust.
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