Week Three

While last week had our class taking a more application based approach to interacting with public history concepts, this week we discussed chapter five of the text as well as supplementary readings. Both works provided information about crucial tools that guide the creation of an exhibit and that will aid us in building our final project. One of these supplementary readings was the first chapter of Freeman Tilden’s book Interpreting Our Heritage where he describes the principles he believes structure interpretation. 

There are six principles in total, but the first principle is the one that stuck out to me and caught my interest the most. The first principle “Any interpretation that does not somehow relate what is being displayed or described to something within the personality or experience of the visitor will be sterile” (Tilden p. 34) Tilden made this the very first point which implies to me that this is the one he holds in the highest regard; the principle that, to him, is the most vital to interpretation. Based on this principle, the most important thing that an exhibit can do is make the guest can be applied to some aspect of his or her life.

I also found the use of the word “sterile” interesting. Merriam Webster defines the word sterile as “failing to bear or incapable of producing fruit.” The question created through the use of this word is what “fruit” is impacted by interpretation and born through a successful exhibit. I think the most obvious meaning of fruit would be curiosity or passion or desire for future exploration on that subject as well as public history as a whole. Similarly, another meaning that could be derived from the use of this word is that a deep-seated understanding of the exhibit will not be born within the mind of visitors if there is no effort in the exhibit to connect the interpretation to the lives of visitors. I think this principle is justified in being number one on Tilden’s list seeing as it relates to the experience of the visitor which should be one of the highest concerns of a public historian.