Who Owns History?: History in the Museum

Abstract

EARLY IN THEIR HISTORY American museums developed a strong interest in creating an educational environment for visitors to their institutions. One of the first American museums, the Charles Wilson Peale Museum in Philadelphia which was founded in 1786, placed great emphasis on creating an educational setting which appealed to all people.' Peale's museum represented a turning away from the hushed, gloomy atmosphere which characterized many European museums of that era. Peale's focus set in motion a trend among American museums to devote them to providing both interpretative and educational presentations to a broad base of visitors to their buildings.2 It is a trend which continues to characterize many museums to this day. Within this broad framework, museums have been constantly refining and redefining the meaning of an educational, interpretative experience for their visitors. In 1992 the American Association of Museums issued a publication titled, Excellence and Equity: Education and the Public Dimension of Museums, which sought to address the role of museums as educational institutions. The report focused on ten guiding principles. Two of these principles spoke directly to the importance of education in the mission of museums. They insisted that museums place education at the center of their public activities and that museums constantly search for methods of better sharing their unique experiences with their audi-