Toward a Standard of Excellence

In January 1968 Technology and Culture issued the first of series of review articles devoted to identifying technical museums, describing their contents, and assessing their worth as centers for historical instruction and scholarly research. Having assumed editorial responsibility for the undertaking, Thomas W. Leavitt of the Merrimack Valley Textile Museum introduced the series with masterly essay entitled The Nature and Purpose of Exhibit Reviews. His primary argument came through loud and clear: All too often exhibit halls are filled with objects which are useless as evidence with which to study the past. In order to correct this deficiency and achieve standard of excellence, Leavitt called for the immediate scrutiny and evaluation of traditional priorities and philosophical assumptions underlying museum practice. It seemed mandatory that antiquarian biases be abandoned for more dynamic methods of presentation. In particular, technical exhibits needed to be established as a distinct medium of communication. While acknowledging the importance of preserving original artifacts, Leavitt maintained that the modern museum should also be performing an educational function. To be truly catholic in aim and effective in communication, the museum must orient itself toward more balanced program. It should not only preserve but also interpret and present historical objects in such manner as to convey meaningful story to all who view them.1 What better way to initiate this reform than through critical reviews of the exhibits themselves

Epistemology · Excellence · Archaeological Research and Protection · Digital and Traditional Archives Management · Museums and Cultural Heritage · Philosophy

• Historical Museums on the World Wide Web

  Sue Ann Cody•The Public Historian•1997

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