More Artifact Myths (Part 2)

(Part 1 of this two-parter got a lot of fan mail. Why? Hit “reply” and tell me what you think.)

From our last episode with myths 1-5: Artifacts — real, unique things — are the heart of many exhibitions. Yet many myths persist about how to use them.

Here are the final five, including 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 (Dior 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

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MtM Word of the Day:
Prototype. A partial physical assembly of a component. Made early in the design or building process as a test before full production. Can be actual size or smaller. Not used in actual project. (If it were, it would be called a "first article".)