Objects and Others: Essays on Museums and Material Culture (original) (raw)
Our Native Allies": The Denver Art Museum's WWII Outreach Exhibits
Museum History Journal, 2008
During times of crises, museums have tried to support their communities, both on a local and national level, by undertaking socially relevant activities in addition to their regular functions of collecting, research, displaying artifacts and educating the public on a wide variety of topics. During World War II American museums across the country undertook a variety of important programs to build citizens' and soldiers' morale, to fight the enemy's propaganda, and to demonstrate what people were fighting for-the American way of life and to free the world from tyranny. Anthropology as a discipline followed the same course, focusing on using their knowledge of cultural values and cultural diversity to educate the United States about the culture and personality of the enemy and to assist the military in intelligence gathering as well as home front morale boosting and education. This paper documents how the anthropologists in the Denver Art Museum's Indian Arts Department developed an innovative and highly successful exhibition program to educate U. S. soldiers in training facilities around Denver about the Native peoples and places they would encounter as they were sent overseas to fight Germany and Japan. In a textual and illustrational analysis of the armed forces wall case displays, I demonstrate how disciplinary and museological goals were welded with the national war needs to educate and boost morale by using standard and innovative exhibition techniques and rhetoric that emphasized indigenous peoples in occupied territories not as strange, exotic peoples but as America's natural allies. I also address more questionable parts of the exhibits that attempted to battle stereotypes but were probably less successful.
2018
Without their guidance, extensive knowledge and expertise, and seemingly endless patience (which I'm sure I frequently tested), this thesis would never have been written. Even when faced with my stubborn negativity, they have encouraged, reassured, and coaxed me through this process. I have been incredibly fortunate to have had such a supportive and engaged supervisory team who have always found time in their hectic schedules to listen to my whinging and appease my worries. I can't thank them enough for gifting me their time, advice and encouragement over the last four years, for never openly laughing at my stupidity, and for making this process such an enjoyable experience (yes, really!). I'd also like to thank PCMAG and the Cottonian Representatives Committee for supporting my research and for granting me unrestricted access to the Cottonian Collection. The support and expertise of the staff at PCMAG has been invaluable, and I am grateful to them for warmly welcoming me as one of their own, offering assistance, and for enquiring after (or at least convincingly feigning interest in) my thesis. In particular, I'd like to thank the Art Department curatorial staff (past and present)-Emma Philip, Lottie Clark, and Alison Cooper for cups of tea, butty Friday, therapeutic rants and their friendship. My special thanks goes to Emma, for sharing her curatorial bunker and love of the Cottonian (and Charlie and Wills) with me. Without the support of my friends and family this would have been a lonely old journey and I am grateful to all those who have cheered me on over the last four years. It goes without saying, but the support of my family-my Mum, Dad, Vicki, Kate, Rob, Gran and Buzz-has been invaluable. My thanks go to them for accepting my absence whilst I battled with this thesis, and for never questioning the sanity of my decision to do so. In particular, I owe much to my Gran (Eileen Wall) whose incredibly generous support made Author's Declaration At no time during the registration for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy has the author been registered for any other University award without prior agreement of the Doctoral College Quality Subcommittee. Work submitted for this research degree at the University of Plymouth has not formed part of any other degree either at the University of Plymouth or at another establishment. This study was sponsored by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and was undertaken in collaboration with Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery (PCMAG). A programme of advanced study was undertaken, which included a taught research skills module. Relevant seminars and conferences were regularly attended at which work was often presented, co-curation of an exhibition at PCMAG was undertaken, and a chapter was prepared for publication.