Encyclopedic, or Encyclopedia?

An encyclopedic museum displays every subject in a field. Some large art and natural history museums aspire to this. (Not without critics.)

Relatedly, there are encyclopedic exhibitions. These aim to display every object in a category:

… the Gallery of Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy in Paris, an amazing skeletal herd of every animal.

… the Hall of Gems and Minerals at the American Museum of Natural History, which shows every sparkly thing.

… encyclopedic art shows, with endless Rothko, Monet, or Basquiat moments

These work when they actually are encyclopedic — and there is demand for it.

But then there is the distant cousin of this family: the encyclopedia exhibition (note the one-letter difference). These set out to communicate every fact, rather than display every thing. To show everything we know, not everything visitors love.

Encyclopedic exhibitions inspire fans to hop continents.

Encyclopedia exhibitions don’t have many fans.

Here’s the thing:
Our shows can be encyclopedic, if we offer an experience that merits the name.

But when we base our exhibition on raw fact quantity, we’re basically making an encyclopedia. 

And that one-letter difference makes a very different kind of exhibition.

Warmly,
Jonathan