The discussion about the "last act" is very good.  But I can't help thinking
that we are missing the point to a certain extent.  Are we being too
inwardly directed?  By this I mean, shouldn't we also be looking at this
issue from a
"customer's" perspective?
 
Let's pick two examples: 1) the young person who knows very little about
WWII and the way it ended; and 2) the grandparent who lived through it (both
born and raised in the US).
 
If we can agree that these two people are not part of some marginal group of
visitors to the Smithsonian, what kind of experience do we want them and
their peers to have?  What do we want to have happen to these visitors
intellectually? What kind of first impression do we want to instill in the
young person?  What emotion do we want to stimulate in the grandparent?  I
like to think that the Smithsonian strives to inform and excite young
inquisitive minds, and to fairly challenge the belief systems of people
without pitting the visitor's intellect against the intellect of scholars
who are interested in advancing an alternative historical perspective.
 
As museum professionals, I think we think too much about our own thinking
and not enough, sometimes, about the thinking of people who some call our
customers.
With regard to "the last act," caveat emptor doesn't fly.
 
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Rich Jones                              Governing Board For:
Development Director                    Carter House Natural Science Museum
Shasta Natural Science Association      Redding Arboretum By The River
[log in to unmask]              SNSA Environmental Resources Center