Our institution hosted the traveling version of Daniel's Story about
five years ago. One of my job duties was to do a daily walkthrough of
that exhibit almost every morning. I cried more than once near the end
of it's run when I went through that exhibit, because I was an adult and
really understood how the story ended. There were some pretty powerful
components that would probably mean nothing to a small child, but would
hit an adult. Just very subtle differences with lighting and temperature
as one proceeds through the exhibit and "Daniel" moves from a warm,
comfortable home to ghetto to concentration camp in dead of winter. It
is quite simply one of the best "children's," and adult museum exhibits
that I have ever seen. My son was 7 years old at the time and he "got"
the exhibit, understood it, didn't have nightmares or a negative
response, and realized that children and adults died. I think my
response was cumulative, because I went through it more than 30 times
and eventually I knew it so well. 

I know that everyone will not agree, but I feel that Daniel's Story "got
it right." The blend of truth, without giving nightmares, without
whitewashing, on a level that children can comprehend. It was not
graphic, but to an adult who has seen or heard stories about the
Holocaust, it becomes easy to fill in certain details. A child doesn't
have that cultural background yet, so they can't. There were a few
photos of starving men on liberation, but I've seen similar photos of
Courtney Cox and one of the Olsen twins on magazines at the grocery
store checkout lanes.

I've not seen the permanent installation of Daniel's Story, but I can
only assume that it is very similar to the traveling version. I
apologize if it isn't, because my comments are based on my experiences
solely with the traveling exhibit.

Lisa

Lisa Shockley, Collections Technician
Union Station Kansas City
30 W. Pershing Road
Kansas City, MO 64108
 
"Where there is Peace; there is Culture;
Where there is Culture; there is Peace."
Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947)

-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Deb Fuller
Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2005 12:18 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: "whitewashing" unpleasant facts

On 12/17/05, Pamela Silvestri <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> In answer to your question I would have to say that yes, it is right
to
> 'whitewash' it. And it's important and sometimes difficult to separate
what
> we have now learned and know as adults, from that which children will
learn
> as they get. But if the info is inaccurate to begin with...that is not
right
> to present this. And then we have to ask - what you are concerned
about and
> are asking.

I have to agree with Pam. There are age appropriate ways to deal with
difficult subjects. Even young children can understand the basics of
why slavery was wrong and in their own way sympathise with the plight
of slaves. But do they need to see pictures of people being beated and
chained or starved to death? No. It will most likely give them
nightmares and completely overshadow the overall history lesson.

Case in point, in my opinion, Bambi is the most horrible movie ever
made. I saw it when I was 3 and the only thing I remember is that
Bambi's mother got shot and the forest burned down. I am over 30 and
to this day, hearing the theme song will put me in tears. The next
worst movie is Old Yeller. I saw that when I was older, probably
around 10 or so but again, Old Yeller gets shot. How awful is that?

People will argue that old fairy tales are equaly violent and the
original versions are but with a purpose. They were to teach kids how
to act and not to do stupid things like wander through the woods alone
or to treat their step-sibblings nicely.

There are ways of getting the message across without resorting to
traumatising children. We don't need to give them happy stories that
lead them to believe that all slaves escaped to freedom either but
there is a balance.

Has anyone seen the US Holocaust Museum's exhibit for children called
something like "Danie's Story"? It was supposed to be really good at
getting the point across to younger children without being as graphic
as the rest of the museum.

deb

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