The Meaning of Animal Portraiture in a Museum Setting: Implications for Conservation

Abstract

The authors document the changes in visitors’ perceptions of animals after viewing an animal portraiture exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France. The exhibit consisted of 29 photographic prints, the participants were 50 visitors, and the instrument used was the Personal Meaning Map. Sixty-six percent of visitors changed, added, or deleted meaning to their perception of animals after viewing the animal portraits and a further 20% reported changes to the aggregate intensity of the pre-exhibit themes that they associated with the concept of “Animal.” Pre-exhibit, the visitors thought about animals primarily in terms of “Nature” and “Wild/Free” creatures; whereas post-exhibit the visitors’ meanings of “Animal” emphasized “Personality” and “Kinship.” The authors raise questions about today’s prevalent approaches to the visual culture of animal representation in conservation and the conservation value of exposing people to animals in a captive setting.