10 Myths About Artifacts (#6-10)

From our last episode: Artifacts — real, unique things from a collection — are the heart of most exhibitions. Yet many myths persist about how to use them.

Here are the final five, including a couple of shockers:

Myth #6: Artifacts have to be real.
Fact: Good facsimiles are fine. Build the reason for the replica into the story.

Myth #7: Artifacts have to be pristine.
Fact: Sometimes (First Lady's gown). Otherwise, memorable imperfection is better (bullet hole in helmet).

Myth #8: Artifacts have to come from the museum’s collection.
Fact: Visitors don’t care if they’re all loans. We do, but that's different.

Myth #9: Artifacts have to be expensive.
Fact: Rarely (Inverted Jenny stamp). All your artifacts can be inexpensive. Price is only one kind of value.

Myth #10: Visitors shouldn’t touch artifacts.
Fact: Untrue whenever possible. Any small chance for visitors to touch something real is magical.

Here’s the thing:
These 10 myths are just that — myths. When we rethink them, we can decrease costs, speed up timelines, and improve the visitor experience.

Warmly,
Jonathan

P.S. Is your favorite myth missing? Did one of these strike a nerve? Hit REPLY and LMK.