Research On Display: A Guide To Collaborative Exhibitions For Academics
Research On Display: A Guide To Collaborative Exhibitions For Academics
Research On Display: A Guide To Collaborative Exhibitions For Academics
A Guide to Collaborative
Exhibitions for Academics
Edited by Laura Humphreys
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk
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Contents
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Acknowledgements List of Contributors
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Kristin Hussey Assistant Curator, Royal Alasdair MacLeod Head of Enterprise
College of Surgeons, Hunterian Museum and Resources, Royal Geographical Society
Kristin Hussey is the Assistant Curator at the Hunterian Museum (with IBG)
at the Royal College of Surgeons where she looks after the dental Alasdair Macleod is Head of Enterprise and Resources at the
and plastic surgery collections. She has worked previously in RGS-IBG. Amongst other responsibilities, he oversees the
registry and documentation positions at the Science Museum Societys Collections and commercial exhibition programme.
and World Museum Liverpool. Kristin has an MA in Museum Previously he held positions with the Orion Publishing Group and
Studies from the University of Manchester and will be starting was Publishing Director at the British Museum.
her PhD at Queen Mary University of London in 2014. She
is also a museum blogger and guest contributor for Morbid
Anatomy, as well as co-founder of the Ministry of Curiosity Ellie Miles Interpretation Officer, British
(@curiositytweet). Museum
Dr Ellie Miles is an Interpretation Officer at the British Museum.
Eleanor John Director of Collections, Ellie recently finished her PhD, which was called Curating the
Learning and Engagement, the Geffrye Global City. It was a collaborative doctoral award, funded by the
AHRC and the project partners were the Museum of London
Museum of the Home and the Geography Department of Royal Holloway. Last year
Eleanor John is Director of Collections, Learning and Ellie worked as a Digital Curator at the Museum of London, and
Engagement at the Geffrye Museum where amongst other before that was a Project Assistant on the museums Collections
responsibilities she has managed the exhibitions and research Online team. She also developed and taught the Online
programme since 2000. She is also Co-Director of the Centre Museums module for the University of Westminster.
for Studies of Home, a research partnership between the
Geffrye Museum and Queen Mary, University of London which Michael Murray Development Manager,
delivers an extensive programme of collaborative research and
dissemination events. Heritage Lottery Fund
Michael Murray joined HLF in 2009, managing the London
Caron Lipman Research Fellow, Development Teams pre-application support and community
relations services. Michael supports the Head of London Region
Queen Mary University of London with strategic partnerships and marketing of HLF in the capital.
Dr Caron Lipman is a Research Fellow for the AHRC-funded Prior to working with HLF, Michael was the London Manager for
project, Living with the past at home: domestic prehabitation AdviceUK, supporting the infrastructure needs of nearly 300
and inheritance at Queen Mary University of London. After 15 independent legal advice charities. He is also a past chair of
years as a journalist, she undertook a PhD exploring peoples the Voluntary Sector Forum. Before that, Michael was a Grants
experiences of living in haunted homes (Co-habiting with Ghosts: Officer with the Big Lottery Fund. Michael has an MA from the
Knowledge, Experience, Belief and the Domestic Uncanny, University of Toronto in International Relations, and an MSc in
Ashgate, 2014). Prior to this, she received a Barnett Shine Sustainable Heritage from University College London.
Fellowship to research the Jewish cemeteries at and around
Queen Marys campus (The Sephardic Jewish Cemeteries
at Queen Mary University of London, 2012). Caron was also
commissioned to carry out a feasibility study into a partnership
between Queen Mary and the Geffrye Museum. This led to the
launch of the Centre for Studies of Home in 2011.
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List of Contributors
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Introduction
The exhibitions programme at the Geffyre Museum is greatly The exhibition programme at the Geffrye provides the
enhanced by academic collaborations, which provide a opportunity to explore aspects of home beyond the social
sustainable way of delivering an exciting and wide-ranging and geographical boundaries of the material presented in
programme. All the forth-coming scheduled major shows at the permanent galleries and in more depth. Working with
the Geffrye will be the fruits of working alongside academics academics brings knowledge and expertise into the sector
as co-curators of the exhibitions and such an ambitious both extending the reach of academic research to audiences
programme of home grown exhibitions tailored to the beyond the Academy and providing content for rich and in-
Geffryes needs would be unachievable without academic depth exhibitions engaging with new research in a wide range
collaborations. of subjects far beyond the immediate expertise of staff. This
has led at the Geffrye to a broad, engaging and sustainable
Co-curation at the Geffrye means that the academic partners exhibition programme addressing subjects as diverse as
are actively involved in selecting material from their research, contemporary urban Japanese homes to the experience
framing the story they want to tell, selecting and sourcing of homeless people seeking shelter in Victorian London.
exhibits, developing 3-D and graphic design for the exhibition
with the curators and exhibition designers, helping to shape The collaborations have come about both through direct
the juxtaposition of objects and interpretation, selecting audio, approaches by academics to the museum and vice-versa
visual and interactive material and writing texts. They are and a number are outputs from AHRC- and ESRC-funded
guided and supported by curators at the museum with whom research projects that the Geffrye runs through the Centre
content and target audiences are agreed; the curators project for Studies of Home, a research partnership with Queen Mary,
manage the exhibition delivery, make loan applications, liaise University of London. In this introduction I will focus on one
with the designers, edit text and manage the production and particularly successful collaborative exhibition - At Home in
installation of the exhibition. Japan which grew from a direct approach from
the academic involved.
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the participants in her research, collaborating with Susan
Andrews to photograph their homes using a mode of
photography that allowed whole wall views of rooms, or
items of furniture to be reproduced life-size; Daniels had also
collected domestic items from her participants and recorded
the sounds of daily domestic life and was fully committed to
the three-dimensional and multi-sensory expression of her
research.
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk 9
Collaboration and the Royal
Geographical Society (with IBG)
Catherine Souch and Alasdair MacLeod
As part of initiatives to open up the Royal Geographical the collections, enterprise, research and public engagement
Society (with IBG) to new visitors and audiences, the Society divisions. External consultants and designers support
has actively developed a programme of exhibitions to share delivery and curation. The focus of recent exhibitions has
new knowledge. These exhibitions have been hosted in the ranged from sustainable architecture, to travel photography,
new, purpose-built Pavilion, often with an online presence to contemporary reinterpretations of the Societys historic
and travelling versions suitable for display in local libraries, collections (see two examples presented in the two images
schools and other community spaces. The exhibitions here).
represent a mix of those led by the Society and developed
and delivered in collaboration with external partners The catalyst for this programme was the Unlocking the
(community groups, academics and researchers, artists and Archives project. This involved both building work and
photographers). The Pavilion is also a space others can hire. community partnerships to reinterpret the Societys historic
Collections, generously supported by the HLF and Arts
Each year the exhibition programme is planned and Council amongst others. The building work led to a new
considered as a whole; with careful attention to the balance of entrance on the busy Exhibition Road, the purpose-built
topics and perspectives, recognising the breadth of interests exhibition space, the Pavilion, and new climate-controlled
of those who visit the space and the strategic priorities of the stores for the Societys historic Collections. These
Society. The planning and delivery is collaborative, across geographical collections contain over two million maps,
photographs, books, artwork, artefacts and documents
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and tell the story of 500 years of geographical discovery Exhibitions can also be very time consuming to develop,
and research. A key pillar of the initiative was the Crossing expensive and have a limited life. To enhance the reach and
Continents: Connecting Communities programme, launched life of many of the Societys exhibitions, they have been linked
to increase access for communities to whom the Collections to a broader programme of public engagement lectures, in
have a direct relevance. In its first phase this involved Afghan, London and as part of the Societys regional network; articles
Chinese, East African and Punjabi communities in the UK in popular magazines such as Geographical; online slide
reinterpreting historic materials in terms of their community shows, sometimes featured by the BBC; Collections based
histories, around themes that include diaspora, migration and displays, workshops and talks; and educational resources,
home. This led to exhibitions and workshops and educational with curriculum relevant activities for students at all ages.
resources for school students. More recently external projects
led by community groups, with Society support, have followed Collaborative exhibitions are one of many ways of sharing
similar methodologies to hold workshops and develop the findings from a research project, particularly effective
exhibitions, examples include Making Freedom and Making at engaging wider audiences beyond the academy. Delivered
Home. A comprehensive evaluation of this work and potential well they can be hugely successful.
new avenues is the topic of a new AHRC Collaborative
Doctoral Award at the Society.
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk 11
Why choose Queen Mary
University of London?
Part 1: Exhibition
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Ten Tips for Embarking on
Exhibitions Great and Small
Helen Watkins
In this chapter I offer some tips about exhibitions and But I also mean business in the sense that museums
collaborations, picked up on my own journey from being increasingly have to function on a business model, one that
an academic to working in a museum. I am writing from meets targets, generates income, supports civic objectives,
the context of a large local authority museum service and delivers social, cultural and educational services and
the advice is aimed primarily at PhD students and Early demonstrates value for money. An appreciation of their
Career researchers. I focus here on object-based exhibitions; priorities and constraints can help you propose the kind
however, I also emphasise that exhibitions are just one of the of project that a museum has the capacity to support.
many things that museums do, and suggest that you consider
other collaborative possibilities too. 2. Talk to us
Get in touch at an early stage to discuss your ideas informally.
1. Understand the business of museums Your proposal will be stronger if you have some understanding
I mean this in two senses. First, it is useful to be aware of of our collections, our exhibition and learning programmes
what museums do and how they go about their business. I and the kind of research and engagement activity we would
was struck by how diverse a range of activities are undertaken find beneficial.
in and by museums. They are rich and multi-layered beasts
with much more to them than the exhibitions and galleries
with which visitors may be most familiar.
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk 13
Ten Tips for Embarking on
Exhibitions Great and Small
Helen Watkins
A conversation with someone inside the organisation can help Could you tell your story without them? If so, you need to think
you tailor your proposal to fit with our strategic objectives, and carefully about whether an exhibition is the most appropriate
they may be able to champion your idea internally. Equally, if medium for communicating your research.
your project is unlikely to gain support, it is better to find that
out before you invest too much time in developing a proposal. 6. Clarify your key message
What do you want to communicate, to whom, and why?
And please, please, please do not apply for grants saying you Just as you would develop a central argument in an article,
plan to do an exhibition with us without checking with us first! so you need to define a key message for an exhibition. Focus
This is not the route to a happy collaboration. on stripping away to the essence of what you want to say. If
a visitor were to remember only one thing from the exhibition,
3. T hink carefully about what you want and need out of the what is the main point you would want them to take away?
collaboration and what you can offer
We like researchers. We particularly like researchers bringing 7. Less is more. Dont put a book on a wall.
exciting ideas we think will engage our audiences, make Providing some interpretation is important, but you wont have
connections with our collections and help us take forward much text to play with. Audience research repeatedly shows
one or more of our strategic objectives. us there is a limit to how much people will read in a gallery.
A collaboration is an investment and a risk for both It can be galling to learn that your object labels can only be
parties. First and foremost you are building a relationship, 80, 50 or even just 30 words long. Writing concisely using
out of which may come an exhibition or other output. How clear and simple language is hard but it is an invaluable
can this be mutually beneficial? What can you do that we skill to master. This is not the place for all the detail you
cant? Do you have specialist skills, knowledge, money or painstakingly researched. Let a lot of that go and the
time? Can you broker access to hard-to-reach groups? Can exhibition will be stronger for it.
you help us better understand our objects, our audiences
or our impacts on peoples lives? 8. Fewer can be more too!
Putting on exhibitions is an expensive and time-consuming
For a positive working relationship you also need to be clear business. It is a bit like redecorating your house, demolishing
about what you are seeking e.g. wider exposure for your and rebuilding various walls, and replacing all your furniture,
findings, opportunities to demonstrate impact to funders, every six months! We need to consider carefully before
museum experience for your career development. Clarifying investing this kind of time and money and be confident that
this helps keep roles and expectations clear. the exhibition will be high quality and attract visitors.
4. Know your audience That said, exhibitions dont need to be big and elaborate to
I mean this both in relation to the institutional audience be successful. There is a lot you can do with a few objects
receiving your pitch, and also the exhibition audience(s) and a couple of thousand pounds, or even a few hundred
you are targeting. It pays to understand your demographic if you are really resourceful. Think creatively about smaller
because different approaches suit different audiences. displays perhaps just a case or two, or travelling exhibits
that can reach different groups in different spaces, or even
Successful collaboration on an exhibition involves a shared closely focused single object exhibitions with multi-layered
understanding of who it is intended for. Check whether the interpretation.
museum has an audience development plan with specific
targets for venues or aspirations for the kind of groups it 9. Dont underestimate the time involved
wants to reach. If a museum is trying to increase visits from Lead-in times for an exhibition can be a number of years to
family groups, for example, it is good to know that when allow for research, fundraising, negotiating loans from other
developing exhibition ideas. institutions, conservation of objects etc. This means exhibition
schedules may be set many years in advance, limiting
5. Start from the objects opportunities for involvement for early career researchers,
Think about what the objects can say or show. Make them simply because the planning and preparation time can be
work hard to carry the story i.e. the objects should be the longer than PhD programmes or post-doc contracts.
key ingredients rather than just illustrations to the texts
accompanying them.
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Handling Kits in the Museum Store.
Canals Handling Kit. Glasgow Museums Glasgow Museums.
When collaborating on an exhibition, do expect lots of 10. Think small. Think inside the box!
meetings and dont expect things to move quickly. There Museums are in the business of much more than exhibitions
are various tiers of decision-making and a large number e.g. promoting curiosity, learning, engagement with ideas,
of departments involved. Bear in mind too that teams are skills development and social connectedness. The point
generally working on a number of projects simultaneously. here is that exhibitions are not the only, and not always the
most appropriate, way to achieve these. The list below gives
examples of 20 different activities and outputs. Id encourage
Curatorial
researchers not to overlook the other 19 as potential
Subject Curators
collaborative projects.
Learning and Access
Conservation
Curators
Digital Curators Museum activities and outputs
Exhibitions Digital interpretation
Collections and Displays Virtual exhibitions
Retail Mangement Scholarly catalogues Object conservation
Publications Technical object
Gallery talks/store tours analysis
Marketing Editorial Trails Object research
Workshops Oral histories
Handling kits Improved database
Development and Design Study days entries
Fundraising Conferences Enhanced object files
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk 15
Exhibition Funding and
Project Development
Michael Murray and Benedetta Tiana
London has witnessed a heritage renaissance since lottery money the museums inner circle to participate in research, plan content,
began flowing into new and restored gallery spaces, resulting in develop interpretation for graphic and digital media (both fixed
interesting and innovative exhibitions. Notwithstanding the critical and mobile), and even help curate an exhibition. This process of
importance of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) in supporting engagement is sometimes referred to, in museum planning terms,
the ambitious re-developments of entire wings of national as the rule of the 3 Cs. To plan a successful exhibition, there are
galleries, or small community based heritage projects, funding three steps which offer three levels of engagement: Consultation
for exhibitions continues to be drawn from a range of sources. (people give their opinions and feedback); Collaboration (people
Funding organisations such as the HLF and the Arts Council contribute content, their own stories and insights); Co-curation
England, the Wellcome and Monument trusts, and the Arts and (people become the museums delivery partners at a deeper level,
Humanities Research Council have invested millions of pounds thinking strategically about the exhibition and helping take risk
in exhibitions that allow audiences to learn about and engage related decisions). This is an often uneasy mix of requirements
with heritage. In addition, private companies and philanthropists because it relies on input from a range of professionals - as well
seeking to associate themselves with high profile exhibitions have as the museum teams - including activity planners, interpretation
contributed significantly to the rich cultural calendar in London. specialists, 3D designers, app and website developers, graphic
Young heritage professionals planning gallery re-developments or designers, etc. It is important to have an experienced team in
exhibitions on specific heritage topics need to consider a mix of place to ensure that the exhibition is designed and delivered on
key partners in their funding strategy. Here, we aim to highlight time and in budget, and to a high quality, while encouraging the
some of the most important considerations when budgeting and public engagement that funder values.
funding a project.
For people new to the process of exhibition design, it is advisable
Planning your exhibition to approach someone quite senior who has developed a funded,
Interpretation falls half way between capital works and activities. successful exhibition - someone whose aims and objectives in
Although it has a physical outcome and legacy, which fits terms of audience engagement and content delivery might be
within the capital budget section of the funding application, its similar to yours. All major museums have immense expertise,
fundamental outcome is a soft one, as it is measured in the and they will see things from the curators point of view, as well
quality of peoples engagement with heritage. Interpretation is as allowing you to test concepts before approaching potential
about exciting people, encouraging volunteers and people outside funders. Bigger projects will often have managing roles such as
16 www.geog.qmul.ac.uk
Project Leaders and Directors of Development, who can offer Continue to remind your designers throughout the process; keep
interesting insights related to exhibition development. Do not re-reading your aims (e.g. ensure young families have hands-
worry about approaching them, mostly people are very helpful if on activities that can be led by the toddlers, surprise specialist
they understand exactly what you want to get out of them. Leave audiences, ensure older people can read all graphics easily) and
enough time, however, to consult with mentors at key points in the stick to them in terms of audiences as participants, and audiences
process so that you can nurture the relationship. Some mentors as learners. Create or commission an audience development
will help read a draft application, others will help you shape the plan, share it and use it as part of your design brief, so that activity
main exhibition idea. planning and interpretation can support it.
Get your designers on-board early in the capital programme so Interpretation for target audiences is an art, and it is not the same
that interpretation budgets are ring fenced from potential structural as marketing or audience segmentation, although it absorbs much
cost over runs, otherwise your entire development phase for useful information from both of these.
the project will go in costing capital works without the exhibition
design elements. Architects, Conservators, Project Managers, Everything in public engagement and interpretation is bespoke,
and even Quantity Surveyors who are not specific exhibition a response to the collections and the needs of the audience it is
experts often lack the expertise in costing elements of exhibition intended for. You need to understand your audiences as leisure
planning, as they are unaware of how to cost soft items such as learners and engaged participants rather than market segments.
scripting, audio-visual production, image research and copyright, If projects assume a percentage of works, say 80% on capital
showcasing, interactive displays, etc. Professionals who are expert works and 20% on activities (including interpretation), remember
in architectural development do not know how the interpretation that the impact of the activity work is often much higher than the
process works. They will cost per unit of space rather than by capital in terms of audience development. The lower financial
layers of content: a square metre of something solid is a much commitment to activities actually produces higher impact, visibility,
more easily quantifiable item than a five minute original film that awareness and legacy. Also, the complexity of the process is very
describes a landscape and includes expert interviews and archival high, again, proportionally to cost.
still imagery.
Exhibition planning is a creative process, and because planners /
Target audiences designers are are often involved only as late as the development
Know exactly who your target audiences are, and what their stage, when budgets have been allocated and ideas costed
learning behaviours are and ensure that you are explicit without a creative brief in place, sometimes the process impedes
with your design team that you need to cater for these groups. finding creative solutions. Unsuccessful exhibitions occur when
they are bolted down (in terms of design and budgets) very
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk 17
Exhibition Funding and
Project Development
Michael Murray and Benedetta Tiana
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Learning to Speak Museum:
Collections Information for Exhibitions
Kristin Hussey
For a collaborative researcher, a museum exhibition on your Both registrars and documentation specialists work closely
topic can be an exciting opportunity for increasing access and with collections. However, these roles have very different
engagement for a wider audience. However, the process of responsibilities. Registrars are responsible for coordinating
curating an exhibition in a museum environment requires much the movement of objects in and out of the museum, either
more than just research and interpretation. Working with a on loan to other museums or coming into their institution for
heritage institution will mean collaborating with professional staff display. Registrars work closely with conservators and logistics
who have varying backgrounds and priorities. The key to working staff to coordinate the safe transport and installation of items
effectively with these museum colleagues is learning to speak their for exhibition. This role is also responsible for the significant
language; understanding the terminology, protocols and standards amount of legal paperwork involved in the acquisition and loan
of the heritage industry will help you enormously. Museum work is of historic materials. In contrast, a documentation officer records
a vocation which requires specific skills learnt through experience. information about the collection in the collection database (a digital
Registry and documentation are two such skilled museum-specific catalogue which contains details of objects held by a museum).
roles which form a central part of the exhibition process. An This information includes detailed descriptions, measurements,
effective museum collaborator or researcher will be familiar with images and locations which adhere to SPECTRUM collections
the workings of collections information staff to ensure a productive management standards. As a researcher, you may find that
and enjoyable exhibition development process. documentation is your main role, e.g. updating previously
under-researched records, or creating new ones for new
Whether you are working in a large museum with a dedicated objects. However, when working on an exhibition, you will
Collections Information team, or a smaller museum where it probably encounter more of the loans and legal paperwork
is part of an amalgamated role, understanding the basics of of the registrar.
Collections Information will help you to be an effective team
member. Although much of this chapter talks about a large
Collections Information team in order to explain how registry
and documentation work, you may end up collaborating with an
organisation that doesnt have the resources to have a team or
even a single role dedicated to Collections Information. In that
case, Collections Information duties are likely to be shared out,
and may well be an important part of your role.
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk 19
Learning to Speak Museum:
Collections Information for Exhibitions
Kristin Hussey
Top tips:
Be familiar with museum paperwork and standards
this is essential whether you are working with
experienced registrars or volunteers in a small
museum
Use object numbers to refer to objects often objects On-site storage of the
look very similar to one another and not using their Odontological Collection
at the Hunterian Museum.
numbers can cause mistakes and misunderstandings Kristin Hussey/Hunterian
Museum.
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Careful, Now! Conservation
for Exhibitions
Emily Yates
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk 21
Careful, Now! Conservation
for Exhibitions
Emily Yates
Contaminants
Particulates such as dust are often brought into a display space
by the visitors. If something is on open display, you need to make
sure that it is not sensitive to the build-up of dust on the surface,
or a visitor with dirty fingers. Building materials used in exhibition
construction such as MDF and paints, can off gas, i.e. release
harmful organic acids. These can cause objects to tarnish and
discolour.
Vulnerable Examples: Silver, Lead, Plastics, Metals
Pests
Pests, like carpet beetles, moths, and rodents, are unfortunately
common, and infestations can have a rapid and often devastating
effect on museum collections. It is vital to monitor and control
Conserving large objects, such as this birthing chair, can take weeks or even months,
pests in gallery spaces. Basic maintenance of the display area, like
depending on the materials they are made of, their state of (dis)repair, and the
exhibition they are going to. Science Museum. keeping it clean and dry, will reduce pest risks. Objects themselves
can be risk factors, especially loans or new acquisitions, as
they may be infested before they reach your exhibition. Making
sure objects are checked in a quarantine area will prevent any
infestations reaching other objects.
Vulnerable Examples: Textiles, Paper, Wood, Organic Materials
Physical damage
Physical damage is the most visible harmful change to museum
objects. A common cause of damage comes from inappropriate
mounts while on display. A well designed mount should hold and
support an object, and not place stress or strain on it. Common
sense is the best weapon against accidental damage: wear gloves,
Small and delicate objects, like this boat sculpted from bone, hold objects at their base, make sure your path is clear, never
require specialist attention and can be as time consuming as move large objects alone, and just be as careful as possible.
large objects to prepare for display. Science Museum.
Vulnerable Examples: Awkward Objects, Heavy Objects, Glass,
Ceramics
Top Tips for Exhibition Conservation: In exhibition design, these factors can all be mitigated early on
Conservators plan their timetables months in advance, simply by being aware of conservation limitations. For example,
and a single object can take days, weeks, or months while having an object on open display may be visually stunning,
to prepare; you must give as much notice as possible it leaves the object vulnerable to theft, accidental damage, and
of an exhibition so they can assess what work needs the environmental factors listed above. Open display is only
to be done and when. appropriate for the hardiest of objects. However, similar results
can be achieved with carefully designed display cases that
Conservation is time-consuming and costly, especially are secure and made environmentally stable with features like
if you have to hire a conservator in. It needs to be in UV filters, dehumidifiers, temperature controls, etc. Because
your budget and timetable from the beginning. cases take time to build and cost money, it is essential that you
Beware transporting and dangerous or unusual consider conservation from the proposal stage, and consult with
objects. Things like Ivory, Asbestos, and Human conservators early on.
Remains are strictly regulated, and you find these
things in objects you would never expect! Be thorough It is very unlikely that you would have to deal with these
in investigating your chosen exhibition objects. conservation issues without help from an experienced curator
or conservator. However, being aware of these factors from
No matter how careful you are, sometimes objects
the beginning of the process will make you a better exhibition
break! Tell someone if you break something or see it
designer, and will hugely increase your popularity in the
broken chances are a conservator can fix it.
conservation department!
Collaborating with museums on digital projects has huge Working out how your project will end is important, and
scope and can be an exciting, rewarding process. I have requires thought and planning. One-off applications may have
collaborated on students digital museum projects from limited sustainability, so think about what you want the long-
a range of positions: as a PhD student hoping to create a term benefits of your project to be, and how best to achieve
resource for on-site terminals; whilst a PhD student on a these. Agree the ownership of intellectual property and
museums digitization project; and as a curator, working licencing of copyright for any material produced during the
with a group of students producing a digital resource. Some project before it ends. Museum space is internally contested,
of the things I have learned are obvious in retrospect, but may and museums digital work is too.
be helpful if you are considering collaborating on your own
digital project with a museum. Finally approach museums early with your ideas, build a
collaborative relationship, and start talking about what it is
The most successful projects I have worked with have treated realistic to achieve. There will be different gatekeepers and
collaboration as a method, not an outcome. Testing and lead-in times for different projects in different museums.
iteration can be useful ways of developing a digital project Some museums are more experimental than others, and
and this reflexive attitude can be useful when managing which places these are might surprise you! Relationships are
collaboration. When you approach museums be clear about key to collaboration, and a good relationship can be a sign of
why you want to work with them, and how you expect the an effective project. The museum will probably have different
collaboration could work. Collaboration takes time, and metrics and methods from the ones you usually work with,
museums will want to know about your expectations and but with a good relationship this neednt be a problem. Be
aims, as well as why you think they are the best museum clear about your own aims for the project, and communicate
for you to work with. these to the museum. Make sure these are compatible
with the museums aims for the project. Museum work
Think carefully about the skills it is most useful for each can sometimes be serendipitous, and if you sustain a good
partner to share. You will often find that museum staff relationship it can lead to more outcomes to your original
themselves are researchers. It may be your time, your interest project should a new opportunity arise.
in the collection, your technical experience or your research
skills that are the most attractive to the museum. You may
Be clear about why you want to collaborate
need the museum to provide collection expertise, visitor
with a particular museum
insight, interpretation skills, accessibility advice, outreach
networks, software training, technical support, or project Make the most of your skills and the museums
management. expertise outside experts are expensive
Dont treat your project as a substitute for an exhibition
Just as your project should make the most of the skills
available, digital projects should make the most of the Consider the projects technical requirements carefully
affordances of the medium. Although it might be tempting to Be prepared to negotiate: digital museum space is
try to cram an entire unfulfilled exhibition proposal into your contested
digital project, a more interesting project will have its own
focus. Focus on your audience and think about the scope
a digital project allows, and work from there.
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk 23
Considering the Lifespan of Exhibitions
Laura Humphreys
26 www.geog.qmul.ac.uk
Who Once Lived in My House: One
Researchers Reflections on Collaboration
Caron Lipman
Im going to reflect on a collaboration to create a small table to create something which, with any luck, is greater
exhibition at the Geffrye Museum of the Home. The than the sum of its parts. Catherine and I felt very lucky to
exhibition, titled Who once lived in my house, was part of be working with Alex and Eleanor; it was a very enjoyable
the impact activities connected a contemporary qualitative process and thats not always the case: collaboration
research project funded by the AHRC, Living with the past can be challenging. We brought the idea for the project to
at home: domestic prehabitation and inheritance, exploring the museum right from the start, asking if they felt it was
peoples relationship to their homes history what they have relevant in terms of its potential to add value to the museums
inherited materially as well as their knowledge of or response activities, asking them to draw up a list of useful outcomes
to previous inhabitants. The exhibition ran from September of which the exhibition was one. So we didnt impose the idea
2013 to early March 2014 and utilised the temporary of these activities, but worked collaboratively from the start.
exhibition space at the Geffrye Museum, consisting of eleven
wall display panels. In all honesty, I didnt give the exhibition much thought
beyond the application stage. My focus was on the research
The exhibition was co-curated in a collaborative effort design, on recruiting participants, on its aims and questions.
involving two people from Queen Mary, University of Londons As the collaboration process started just under a year before
School of Geography and two from the Geffrye Museum: the exhibition launch I needed to accept that we were
myself as PDRA, Catherine Nash, the projects Principal stepping into Alex and Eleanors territory. This is what they do
Investigator, Eleanor John, the museums Head of Collections year in, year out they are experts at putting on exhibitions.
and Exhibitions and Curator, Alex Goddard. A freelance So we needed to take a steer from them in presenting
designer was also employed. material, particularly in relation to the ultimate aim of such
exhibitions to offer an interesting and well-designed visitor
In thinking back at the exhibition from my point of view, the experience.
viewpoint of the researcher, two questions seem important:
that of the relationship between academic research and In the spirit of honesty I have to say that my heart sank when
exhibitions, and perhaps a little more contentious that of I was told that exhibitions need to be accessible for a 12 year
who gains (or doesnt gain) from undertaking such a project. old child and that no section of text should be longer than 50,
or perhaps 80, words. This approach seemed completely at
I want to start by making perhaps a rather obvious point. odds with that of the wider research, where the devil is in the
And that is that collaboration whatever its focus is about details. I felt that the exhibition would be a poor relation to
individuals bringing different skills and experiences to the
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk 27
Who Once Lived in My House: One
Researchers Reflections on Collaboration
Caron Lipman
the main research, and I felt an attendant protectiveness, an interviewed 35 households. But of these, only eight seemed
anxiety, towards participants, worrying about doing justice to to fit the criteria, and of these two households declined to
them. take part. This should offer a warning: people willing to be
interviewed for an academic project may feel differently about
That was my initial response. But I realised that I was trying having their stories, their faces, names and homes, projected
to apply my researcher head to something that didnt fit into a public arena. But of the six remaining case studies,
that mould. Exhibitions are different animals, not only in the we had enough material for half to be given two panels each.
presentation and the aims but also in terms of what they can On balance, this did provide enough variety without feeling
do with the research material. I had to see this as separate insubstantial.
and judge it on its own terms.
I then prepared a document outlining all the materials for
As the researcher who had recruited and engaged with the each case study. This included a summary of the stories and
participants, no one else had access to the materials that circumstances, potential usable quotes, and visual and other
would fill the exhibition, which I needed to scour for what ideas such as old photos and objects we might borrow and
I deemed appropriate stories. By my criteria this included how research into previous inhabitants might be presented.
stories that were engaging and complimentary, or constituted The dossier was comprehensive because I wanted to allow
a range of locations, ages and relationships to the past; that the other collaborators to choose from the information
were accessible and easy to tell in a small space; that had gathered. Alex and Eleanor gently reined me in when I vied
a visual, potentially 3-dimentional component; and where I for more stories and text to be included; collaborating meant
knew participants were personable and enthusiastic. I couldnt be too precious about the materials I had chosen.
We did make a case for slightly longer sections of text to be
I had only just finished the interviews, which meant I didnt included in a couple of places.
have interview transcripts to work with and had to listen
through the recordings; having made very detailed research Perhaps a limitation of presenting a professionally-designed
diaries proved helpful. I assumed that I would have an display is that it might present materials which look a little too
abundance of material to choose from. I only needed to fill complete, sleek, seamless and confident, not reflecting the
9 of 11 panels (the first and last being overviews) and had ongoing messiness, the complexity as well as limitations of
28 www.geog.qmul.ac.uk
peoples knowledge. This was in part mitigated by the text in But if these were the benefits, a drawback also needs to be
focusing on the questions and issues participants raise as acknowledged, and that is the thorny issue of time. Doing
well as by an evocative use of visual effects and design details anything properly does take time. Collaboration with more
to reflect or suggest different aspects of peoples stories. than one other person involves an inevitable slowness in
discussing and agreeing on details, often over email, and
The onus was also on me to take photographs for the panels. liaising with participants was also time-consuming. Could the
We decided that there would be visual continuity and flow process have been streamlined, its logistics improved? Im
between the panels by showing the same two images: a family not sure. As researcher, no one else could help me collate
shot of participants in their living room and an exterior shot the materials or engage with participants. Catherine took on
of their home. If my photos werent good we would have to the major administration burden. Alex and Eleanor spent
employ a professional photographer, which would have been much time advising us and engaging in the decision-making
expensive and time-consuming. The designer implemented process. They set up the designer, hunted down and sorted
our ideas and added excellent ones of her own, although out copyright issues, organised permissions and the storing of
there were many requested changes; this later stage of the borrowed objects, and ultimately set up the exhibition itself.
process required detailed decisions to be made between us.
But the fact is that time used for developing the exhibition
I noted that a broader question posed by displaying research was time taken from the main research. And the reality is that
as part of a collaborative exhibition was that of who gains by for early career academics, unless you are hoping to work
doing this. As the researcher, I have a particular take on this as a curator, the focus for getting on in academia, rightly
question and will offer my personal view to conclude. Firstly, or wrongly, is still on publishing in journals rather than on
there were no direct benefits to the research in creating the other activities which might add value beyond the narrow
exhibition. The exhibition, as suggested, utilises and overlaps confines of the academy. These issues represent a tension
with the research, but the process of producing it needs to be which I never completely resolved but I feel needs to be
seen as separate. acknowledged and debated.
But in terms of indirect gains, there were many. Just as
we were creating a reflective space for visitors, I was also
offering myself a reflective space; the process allowed the
possibility of making different connections. As it happened, it
suggested a way of framing a conference paper. In thinking
about the choices and decisions we had made in terms of
what to display in the panels, I found myself thinking about
the choices and decisions that participants themselves had
made to show, hide, recycle or remove inherited objects; the
museum exhibition offered a wider framework for thinking
about aspects of display and archive within these ordinary
homes.
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk 29
Monks, Myths and Multi-vocality:
Presenting the Ruins of Glastonbury Abbey
Rhianedd Smith
30 www.geog.qmul.ac.uk
We made the decision to make the process of discovery a key
part of the exhibition. Quotes and photographs from members
of the large team of specialists were included on text panels,
and when writing text we kept asking ourselves how do we
know that? This also fed into the design, with archival images
forming the backdrop to the stone analysis case, tile making
equipment borrowed from a local maker sitting alongside
original tiles, and finished glass sitting alongside glass
making debris.
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk 31
Hidden Histories of Exploration: Researching
and Exhibiting Geographical Collections
Felix Driver
Exhibitions do not merely present research: they may be part explorers and those intermediaries acting as cultural brokers
of the research process, stimulating new ideas, challenging or go-betweens. Some of these individuals acquired far more
preconceptions and creating new data. Exhibition as a mode experience of exploration than most European explorers could
of research is a large topic with many ramifications. In this ever hope to attain, such as the so-called pandit Nain Singh
paper I use one example the Hidden Histories of Exploration who undertook covert mapping work for the British in Tibet
exhibition held at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) and Central Asia.
in 2009 to address two specific issues: the nature of the
collaborative curatorial model underpinning a research In its physical manifestation, the exhibition occupied two sites
exhibition, and the role of design within the exhibition space. in the RGS-IBG building: the pavilion gallery (where most of
the exhibition panels were situated) and the Foyle Reading
The exhibition was based on research in the vast collections Room (where the original materials, including oil paintings,
of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS-IBG), supported by a were displayed). The effect was to connect the spaces of
grant in the AHRC Museums, Galleries, Archives and Libraries exhibition and research, underlining that this was a new
scheme. This funding context generated a management phenomenon in the history of the Societys recent displays:
structure quite different to that through which humanities a research exhibition. There was something of a tension at
researchers have traditionally become involved in exhibitions. work here between different modes and spaces of display.
Far from being a guest curator, tangentially involved in On the one hand, we were committed to archival authenticity,
the actual making of an exhibit, a Principal Investigator is highlighting the materiality and the institutionally embedded
responsible for overseeing every aspect of the project, from nature of the collections. On the other, we worked with design
conception to delivery, and this involves developing a variety specialists to transform the material in the interests of
of collaborative relationships. The project also had long-term effective communication.
consequences for the closer working of internal departments
within the RGS, notably collections, education and research. The design process involved an iterative process of dialogue
between the designers, researchers, the Societys professional
The original rationale of the exhibition was to challenge an staff in education, collections and research, community
influential narrative dominating the public understanding members and heritage professionals. Joe Madeira and Sally
of exploration, highlighting the actions of heroic individuals Stiff, the design team appointed after a tender process, played
in extraordinary circumstances European and American a paramount role in shaping the ethos and atmosphere of
men, usually, venturing forth on incredible journeys, surviving the exhibition. It was through their work that we were able to
against all the odds. We wanted to encourage a different make manifest the core ideas of co-production or indigenous
perspective by highlighting the roles of the people who
made exploration possible but were rarely centre stage the
porters, cooks, soldiers, interpreters and intermediaries. We Dr Rita Gardner, Director of the RGS-IBG, opens the
hoped to show that exploration is a fundamentally collective Hidden Histories of Exploration exhibition in October
experience involving many different people in various kinds of 2009. Behind her are archive portraits of Sherpas
re-scaled and mounted on the gallery wall. Philip
relationships of work and exchange, often unequal exchange Hatfield/ RGS-IBG.
of course, but nonetheless relationships in which the agency
was not all on one side. The exhibition also sought to raise
wider methodological questions: to what extent might the
collections of the RGS-IBG themselves contain traces of
these other stories? How might these histories be made
more visible? (Driver and Jones, 2009).
32 www.geog.qmul.ac.uk
Hidden Histories in the Exhibition Pavilion at the RGS. RGS-IBG.
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk 33
Collider: Bringing the Worlds Largest
Experiment to the Science Museum
Harry Cliff
In 2011 the Science Museum made the rather brave whether this should take the form of a scripted piece of
decision to put on an exhibition about one of the most film performed by actors or a more traditional documentary
complex subjects in contemporary science: particle physics. featuring real LHC staff. The former would give us greater
This marked a renewed ambition to engage with hard control over the intellectual and dramatic content, though
science and to grow the museums independent adult might be perceived as lacking authenticity. In the end the
audience through a new series of temporary exhibitions with scripted drama won out; it was felt delivering the key content
sophisticated content for the intellectually curious visitor. message while also building a sense of immersion and
engagement, all in around ten minutes was too tall an
The crucial ingredient in this mix was the wave of public order for a documentary.
interest generated by the then recent launch of the worlds
largest ever scientific experiment, the totemic Large Hadron The opening film re-imagines the events leading up to the
Collider (LHC). The 27 kilometre particle accelerator had discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012, based heavily on first-
captured the publics imagination like no scientific endeavour hand accounts. Set in CERNs main auditorium, the story
before, thanks to a combination of spectacular machinery, revolves around a young PhD student, Melinda, who finds
promises of answers to questions on the nature and origins herself with the huge responsibility of bringing the almost fifty
of the universe, and (in the UK at least) the dreamy eyes year search for the Higgs boson to an end by announcing its
and smooth Mancunian tones of Professor Brian Cox. discovery to thousands of her assembled colleagues. After
a brief journey back into history to glimpse the discovery of
I arrived at the Science Museum in January 2012, as Fellow electron at the Cavendish Laboratory in the late 1890s the
of Modern Science, a job in which I would juggle particle audience is then taken to the CERN Control Centre, where
physics research with the role of head of content on the we meet the engineers responsible for operating the Large
exhibition, later to become known as Collider. It was clear Hadron Collider and learn more about the machine itself.
from the outset that this would not be an objects-in-cases
show. The artefacts of particle physics are wholly unfamiliar to After this point visitors are able to explore the exhibition
the non-expert, and in order to fit into a museum gallery those at their own pace. From the CERN auditorium they pass
we selected would have to be relatively small components through a series of reconstructed spaces, beginning with the
of much larger pieces of apparatus. Besides these practical tunnels beneath CERN that house the LHC. High resolution
considerations, we were also faced with the challenge of photographs printed onto exhibition backdrops at life size are
reassuring visitors that their instinctive fear of words like used to create the environment, along with the ambient sound
Higgs boson and superconductor was unfounded, and that of machinery and hazard warning signs, transport crates and
the exhibition would be both intelligible and enjoyable to a tool boxes. The artefacts are set into the context in which they
person without a doctorate in high energy physics. would be found at CERN and are given context by video and
audio interviews with the engineers and physicists who built
After an eye-opening research trip to CERN, home of the them.
LHC, a consensus emerged that the exhibition should attempt
to recreate the experience of a visit to the lab itself. A creative In order to maintain the conceit of a visit to CERN, traditional
team was appointed, led by Pippa Nissen, an expert in both museum text panels were done away with, indeed Collider
exhibition and theatre set design, and included a playwright, lacks an explicit curatorial voice. Instead, content is delivered
theatre video designers, graphic designers, a theatre sound in a way that one might encounter it at the lab, through
artist and not one, but two Olivier Award winners. Armed with a combination of diagrams sketched on whiteboards,
their combined expertise we set out to recreate the world of engineering blueprints and maps of the CERN facility. Object
CERN in an 800 square metre gallery in the basement of the labels remain, disguised as CERN-style forms used to track
Science Museum. the location and function of experimental equipment.
The exhibition development process was a collaborative one. The visual climax of the exhibition comes in the form of
During several two-day workshops the creative and curatorial a piece of video art, projected onto the walls of a large
teams mapped out a number of possible visitor journeys circular space. The animation plunges the visitor into a huge
and approaches. A common feature was that the exhibition experimental cavern, housing one of the four gigantic particle
would open with some kind of theatrical experience, engaging detectors, before zooming down to the size of a single proton
the audience emotionally while providing the necessary and immersing the visitor in a beautiful particle collision.
intellectual orientation. Early on there was a discussion about
34 www.geog.qmul.ac.uk
Perhaps the most surprising and popular space in the Watching all this take shape as the builders got to work in
exhibition proved to be a reconstruction of a rather drab October 2013 was as exciting as it was nerve-racking. Until
1970s CERN office corridor, complete with conference all the various elements; stage sets, graphics, artefacts,
posters, in jokes stuck on office doors, bus timetables and video projections, props, animations, sound and light came
adverts for the CERN choir and table tennis club. Off to one together it was impossible to know what the experience would
side visitors could enter a highly authentic reconstruction be like. It was only the Friday evening before the launch that
of Melindas office, and witness the moment at which she everything was in place and we could finally get a complete
saw that the Higgs boson existed for the first time. The view of what we had created.
ordinariness of the physicists working environment, in stark
contrast to spectacular underground world of CERN, was Publicity for the exhibition was given a huge boost by the
something we were keen to get across, and by simply walking presence of Peter Higgs, who had obligingly won the Nobel
down that corridor it is possible to get a real sense of the Prize for physics only a month earlier. It all seemed like we
international community and character of the laboratory. had orchestrated the whole thing rather brilliantly, when
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk 35
Collider: Bringing the Worlds Largest
Experiment to the Science Museum
Harry Cliff
in fact we had no idea that the Higgs boson would be you have spent almost two years thinking about become
discovered, let alone that Higgs would win a Nobel physical reality, and whats more be appreciated by visitors,
when we had begun work in January 2012. is a pleasure thats hard to top. The caveat for academics
thinking about a foray into the museum world the obvious
Critical praise for the exhibition was almost universal, with the reality that exhibition work leaves less time for research. It is
highlight a five star review in The Independent, which went so easy for self-directed research to take a back seat when you
far as to describe Collider as sublime. Over the six month run find yourself part of a busy team with deadlines to meet, and
in London the exhibition attracted over 50,000 paying visitors, a great deal of self-discipline is required to ensure that the
well above the most optimistic projections and is now at the research doesnt cease altogether. One the other hand, there
Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester ahead of an is nothing like having to explain your work to a non-expert
international tour that will take in Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong audience to make you think hard about you are really doing,
and Australia. what is interesting and valuable and what you dont fully
understand. My knowledge of my own field has increased
Working on the exhibition was a hugely rewarding experience. immensely thanks to my work on Collider, and with the above
I have had the privilege of working with some incredibly caveat in mind, I would encourage others to seize similar
talented people and the experience of seeing something that opportunities if they come their way.
36 www.geog.qmul.ac.uk
The tunnels of CERN, recreated in the Science
Museum basement. Science Museum.
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk 37
Appendices
38 www.geog.qmul.ac.uk
Sources of Funding
The sources of funding available to museums, galleries, and Monument Trust Part of the Sainsbury Family Charitable
cultural organisations are quite different to university funding. Trusts, the Monument Trust supports Arts & Heritage
Below are some of the organisations that make a considerable programmes, especially in economically deprived areas.
contribution to funding in arts & heritage in the UK. The list is http://www.sfct.org.uk/the-monument-trust/
not exhaustive, however talk to your collaborative partners
and research locally as well as nationally to find the best fit for Also:
your project. Museums Most museums will have an exhibitions and public
programming budget. These budgets will be extremely tight,
AHRC The Arts and Humanities Research Council is and may need to be supplemented by outside sources, but
primarily an academic funding body, but supports a wide you should talk with your collaborative partners early on about
range of subjects, as well as a number of museums. this.
http://www.ahrc.org.uk
Sponsorship Many museums seek sponsorship deals with
Arts Council Arts Council (England) offers larger-scale commercial companies (usually with shared interests) to fund
support across the arts, but has several smaller schemes (like exhibitions and events. This could be worth investigating for
the Strategic Touring Programme) which may be useful. your project (although be aware of ethical implications of
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding having a commercial partner).
Association of Art Historians This Association provides Your university! Dont forget to consider funding
bursaries specifically aimed at collaborations between opportunities within your academic institutions. Engaging the
academics and museums or galleries, with biannual public with your research through exhibitions might be eligible
application deadlines. for departmental or institutional funding. Even if you cant
http://www.aah.org.uk/funding/museum-bursary see a scheme that your exhibition idea might fit, talk to your
academic school, college, public engagement or marketing
The Culture Capital Exchange An organisation that partners teams before ruling them out.
with a number of (mainly London, but constantly expanding)
universities to encourage collaboration between member
universities and creative and cultural industries.
http://www.theculturecapitalexchange.co.uk/
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk 39
Resources on the web
Centre for Studies of Home The collaborative partnership Leicester Museums Studies Jobs Desk A large weekly posting
between Queen Mary, University of London and the Geffrye of UK and international vacancies, including research posts,
Museum includes news, events, and a lengthy research studentships, and freelance positions. Updated Thursdays.
register. http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/museumstudies/JobsDesk/
http://www.studiesofhome.qmul.ac.uk/
Museum Jobs General listings for museum vacancies. Most
Ministry of Curiosity The Ministry focuses on new and are based in the UK but some are overseas.
unusual events and exhibitions, as well as museum training http://www.museumjobs.com
and conferences in London. Their events calendar is quite
comprehensive.
http://theministryofcuriosity.blogspot.co.uk/
40 www.geog.qmul.ac.uk
Useful Bibliography
Belcher, Michael. Exhibitions in Museums. Leicester: Greenberg et al. 1996. Thinking about Exhibitions. London:
Leicester University Press, 1991. Routledge.
Bogle, E. 2013. Museum Exhibition Planning and Design. Henning, M., 2006. Museums, Media and Cultural Theory.
Walnut Creek, California: AltaMira Press Maidenhead: OU Press.
Chamberlain, G. (ed.) 2007. Children and Museums: Creating Hill, K. (ed.) 2012. Museums and Biographies: Stories,
Exceptional Experiences for Children and Families. Milton Objects, Identities. Woodbridge: Boydell Press.
Keynes: Heritage Development.
Lord, G. D. & Lord, B. 2000. Manual of Museum Planning,
Craggs et al. 2013. Collaborative geographies: the politics, Walnut Creek, California: AltaMira Press
practicalities, and promise of working together. Historical
Geography Research Group No. 39. McKenna-Cress, P. and Kamien, J. A. 2013. Creating
Exhibitions: Collaborating in the Planning, Development
Dean, D. 1996. Museum Exhibition: Theory and Practice. and Design of Innovative Exhibitions. New Jersey: Wiley.
London: Routledge.
Macdonald, S. 2007. Interconnecting: Museum Visiting
Driver, F. 2013. Hidden Histories Made Visible? Reflections and Exhibition Design, CoDesign 3(S1): 149-162.
on a Geographical Exhibition in Transactions, Institute of
British Geographers 38: 420-35. Marincola, P. (ed.) 2007. What Makes a Great Exhibition?
Questions of Practice. Philadelphia, PA: University of the Arts.
Durbin, G. (ed.) 1996. Developing Museum Exhibitions
for Lifelong Learning. London : The Stationery Office. Parry, R. (ed.) 2010. Museums in a Digital Age. London:
Routledge.
Falk, John H., and Lynn D. Dierking, 2000. Learning from
Museums: Visitor Experiences and the Making of Meaning. Stolow, N. 1987. Conservation and Exhibitions. London:
Walnut Creek, CA: Oxford: AltaMira Press. Butterworths.
Geoghegan, H. (2010) Museum geography: exploring Tilden, F. 1957. Interpreting our Heritage. North Carolina:
museums, collections and museum practice in the UK. University of North Carolina Press.
Geography Compass 4 (10) 1462-1476
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The Merchants House Museum,
New York. Laura Humphreys
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Front Cover Images (clockwise from top
left):
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