The American Museum Journal 



Vol. XI OCTORIOR, 1911 No. 6 



A NOTE REGARDING HUMAN INTEREST IN MUSEUM 



EXHIBITS 



/)'// Fr((ltric A. Luva.s 



IT was a t'axoritc saying of Dr. (Joock- of the National Musciiiii that in 

 ])i-("])ai-in<;- any innscuni (>xliil)it it was of the utmost importance to 

 keep in mind its human interest — to show, if pos.sihle, its direct 

 rehition to mankind in <ieneral and to the individual ohser\-er in particular. 

 Dr. Goode was (juite riyht. We may like to see strange and curious objects, 

 hut we like them all the better if there is something; about them with which 

 we are sli<ihtly familiar; in truth, to find something- in a nuiseum exhibit 

 with which we are personally and pleasantly familiar is like recognizing 

 the face of a friendly accpiaintance in a strange city. 



The puri)ose of arousing personal human interest is the ke^\note of the 

 exhil)its of the modern nmseum. The museum of fifty years ago, or even 

 less, was devoted to the exhibition of objects. The task of the modern 

 museum is to display ideas and to teach important facts, and one of the 

 best means to this end is to show something more or less familiar in order 

 to arouse interest and stinmlate a desire to know more about the subject. 



In the old tyi)e of mu.seum a bird was shown as a specimen of a particular 

 species, with no idi'a of anything beyond. Of course the purpose of mere 

 record still exists, but whenever possible something more is done ^ the 

 relation of the l)ird to others is given, its whole life is shown, the manner in 

 which it is or has been influenced by its surroundings, and the part it plays 

 in tlie general economy of natiu'e and directly toward man. 



The value of this human interest as an attractive force is shown in the 



uni\ ersal attention given to those exhibits in which Man or his works form 



a part, or in which he is concerned. Examples of this are the series in the 



Tnited States National Mu.seum where the skeleton of Man is compared 



with the skeletons of the great apes; or the collection in the Brooklyn 



Institute Museum, which treats of Man as a member of the order Primates 



and which calls attention to some of the points in which he resembles or 



differs from other members of the order. This exhibit is extremely popular 



and on days when the attendance is good is surrounded by visitors who.se 



interest shows that Pope knew wheref)f he spoke when he wrote that the 



"proper study of mankind is man." 



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