Claudia Nicholson's comments on military uniforms and
context was uplifting, but too, having a "military uniform"
on display representing the "context" of Vietnam, brings to
the visitor many other experiences ~~ and opens the minds
of the visitor (a friend that was lost in battle, the Nixon/
Johnson era, peace marches, an older veteran thinking of his
own time in France, etc.).   Or an exhibit of a glass bowl,
even by itself, tells of many stories ~~~ even if the museum
is simply using it to hold plastic apples in a kitchen exhibit.
An object is going to make the visitor think and learn, even
if the curator is trying to say something else.   That is the
beauty of learning and a good exhibit.

John Martinson