Case containing examples of Victorian clothes
‘One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.’ – Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums
This week I have been trying to draft the labels for two displays on which I am working (of which more later). This is a rather more difficult task than you might imagine.
Firstly, a label for a particular object is limited to 50 words (this limit stems from research into visitors’ reading habits and attention spans in galleries and is widely adopted by museums). Then you have to consider whether you wish to convey the story of the object itself, or the wider social context which it illuminates. Or both.
The general rule, again arrived at through research, is that the text should be aimed at the reading level of a twelve year old. This means that you must express yourself clearly, concisely and without using jargon or specialist terminology. The particular terms used can also present difficulties, especially when discussing potentially sensitive subjects.
Having perused the Herbert‘s text-writing style guide (use 1600s and 1700s, but 20th and 21st Century), I set off to the History Gallery to look at some examples and generally enjoy the exhibits.
1970s wedding dress with oral history captions
The labels for this 1970s wedding dress contain excerpts from oral histories which relate to arranged marriage. This allows the display to present different points of view and to include people’s own voices. I really like this method of interpretation, which does not try to present one neat narrative but allows the visitor to consider different viewpoints for themselves.
Similarly, I love to see provocative objects included, which might prompt debate among visitors. These copies of the 1970s feminist publication Spare Rib form part of a display of women’s magazines since WWII.
Take note, Cosmopolitan
There is a film playing in this area of the gallery, which includes oral histories of women of various ages and backgrounds relating their experiences. I was interested by the strength of my own reaction to one of these testimonies – a contemporary young woman expressing her rejection of feminism. It was useful for me to see something in a museum which I find offensive, to better understand the potential emotional impact of this inclusion of different viewpoints.
Having garnered plenty of tips for my label-writing, I had a good wander.
Victorian visual illusion toy
1950s bakelite television, in handy coffee table size
The peculiar sensation of seeing my teenage years represented in a museum
Unironic '50s advertising
The Life Curatorial 