HISTOLIC EXHIBITS
Museums that focus on history are a vital part of the cultural landscape at both the local and national levels. At the local level, they help people understand their own history, allowing them to gain an appreciation for their own place within the larger historical context and for the many stories of their town, city or region. At the national level, museums of history help arouse a sense of nationhood by providing citizens with a common historical heritage.
Moreover, museums are uniquely positioned to bring history to life in ways that are both intellectually stimulating and socially relevant. They offer a chance to discover the past through primary sources that are otherwise unavailable, such as manuscripts, paintings and artifacts. In addition, museum exhibitions often offer a window into the dense research required to compose a history. The exhibition is thus a unique form of cultural argument that enables its audience to connect with bigger ideas through the materials shown.
In order to serve their audiences, museums must constantly challenge themselves to find new ways to tell old stories. Increasingly, twenty-first century museum visitors expect to see the histories that are told at their local museums reflect and touch upon their own lives. They want to be able to find relevance in the stories that are portrayed at their museums and see why their local institutions deserve their tax-exempt status. To do this, museums need to demonstrate that they are worthy of the trust and investment that they receive from their communities.
The best way to do this is through well-researched, inclusive visual narratives that tell a story that is both authentic and meaningful to the audiences they serve. These narratives must be complex enough to avoid being “a book on the wall,” yet simple enough to engage visitors emotionally and enable them to connect with the ideas being portrayed.
Throughout the year, exhibitions at the Museum feature historic objects, photographs and other cultural objects from across the globe. Each of these exhibitions draws extensively from the Museum’s rich collections and addresses a different aspect of history.
This dazzling exhibition explored the relationship between humans and horses through objects, photographs and narratives. It also addressed the evolution of horses, their role in warfare, trade, transportation and agriculture as well as their place in sports and culture.
In 1900, the people of northeastern Zaire were known for their exquisite style of art that incorporated body painting and the bound, elongated head popular among Mangbetu rulers. This exhibition gathered over 400 objects in ivory, terracotta and wood from the Museum’s collection to show how this unique artistic style came into being.