THE CORRELATiUX Ub' ART AND SCIENCE IN THE 



MUSEUM 



HOMER R. DILL 



What is it that makes the museum a success? I beheve this 

 question may be satisfactorily answered by a careful study of the 

 people who visit museums. Go to some good museum and stroll 

 quietly about among the groups of spectators and listen to their 

 remarks ; note carefully the types of exhibits that attract their 

 attention, occasion their comment, and hold their interest. If 

 you are interested and wish to follow up your investigation, go 

 again and as often as you are able. You may thereby get some sug- 

 gestions for building a museum for the public that never would 

 occur to you otherwise. If you are connected with a museum 

 and have been rash enough to make exhibits of your own it is 

 possible that your pet ideas may receive a distinct shock from the 

 frank criticism of some innocent spectator. Nevertheless, heed 

 well what you may hear, for it is the impression that an exhibit 

 makes on the spectator that counts. No matter how well a group 

 is executed, if it does not tell this spectator the story it was 

 designed to tell, it is a failure. 



I reniember well my visit to a certain museum where there is 

 an anthropological exhibit. In one of the groups an Indian is 

 represented drilling ivory, using his bow and a piece of metal 

 for the purpose, while close at hand his squaw is engaged in 

 tanning a skin. The group was interesting, and, to my mind, 

 there was no question as to what the Indians were doing. As I 

 was about to leave the exhibit, however, a young lady stopped 

 directly behind me and remarked, "Oh, see the Indian fiddling 

 while his wife is getting supper." After that remark it was 

 obvious that the impression made by the group was misleading. 

 One of the museum attendants informed me later that he had 

 heard people say the same thing a number of times and this 

 despite the fact that the group was well labeled. Labels, we must 

 remember, are only secondary, and are seldom read unless the 

 spectator's interest has first been engaged by the exhibit. 



True it is that the public will ask foolish questions and make 

 absurd remarks. All of these, however, should be duly considered. 



