Exhibiting Dilemmas : Issues of Representation at the Smithsonian

Henderson, Amy and Kaeppler, Adrienne L. (editors)

ISBN 10: 1560986905 / ISBN 13: 9781560986904

Published by Smithsonian, 1996

About this Item

Unmarked text. Dust jacket. Illustrated. 212p. Index. References. In twelve essays on such diverse Smithsonian Institution holdings as the Hope Diamond, the Wright Flyer, wooden Zuni carvings, and the Greensboro, North Carolina Woolworth lunch counter that became a symbol of the Civil Rights movement, Exhibiting Dilemmas explores a wide range of social, political, and ethical questions faced by museum curators in their roles as custodians of culture. Contributors include Steve Lubar, Mary Jo Arnoldi, Tom D. Crouch, William W. Fitzhugh and others.

Seller Inventory # 24296

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Exhibiting Dilemmas : Issues of Representation at the Smithsonian
• Publisher: Smithsonian
• Publication Date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1560986905
• ISBN 13: 9781560986904
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: very good
• Weight: 24 ounces
• Seller catalogs:
  • Museums

About this title

Synopsis

In twelve essays on such diverse Smithsonian Institution holdings as the Hope Diamond, the Wright Flyer, wooden Zuni carvings, and the Greensboro, North Carolina, Woolworth lunch counter, Exhibiting Dilemmas explores a wide range of social, political, and ethical questions faced by museum curators in their roles as custodians of culture. Focusing on the challenges posed by the transformation of exhibitions from object-driven "cabinets of curiosities" to idea-driven sources of education and entertainment, the contributors - all Smithsonian curators and staff members - provide a lively and sometimes provocative discussion of the increasingly complex enterprise of acquiring and displaying objects in a museum setting.
In showing how the exhibitions in America's national museum can evoke conflicting memories, emotions, and meaning among both curators and a diverse public, Exhibiting Dilemmas airs fundamental issues being confronted by museum professionals worldwide.

About the Author

Amy Henderson, a cultural historian at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, is the author of On the Air: Pioneers of American Broadcasting and coauthor of Red, Hot, & Blue: A Smithsonian Salute to the American Musical.

Adrienne L. Kaeppler is curator of oceanic ethnology at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and the author, most recently, of Oceanic Art.